Dandelion
by Iwant2sparkle
Summary: Life always brings interruptions. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. What matters is how you adapt to the changes. Little bit of fluff, little bit of drama. AH.
1. Chapter 1

This is my new little baby. I've been nursing it for a while so I hope you enjoy. I will try to post every Wednesday, but please forgive me if I get behind a little. I do have a few chapters banked, so hopefully I can stick closely to an updating schedule.

EmDempster is my mastah-beta. EllisBell725 and KnittingVamp7 pre-read and hold my hand. Much love to them all.

This disclaimer will apply to this chapter and every chapter posted from here on out: I am not Stephenie Meyer (sadly) and I do not own Twilight or any of its characters (even more sadly). No copyright infringement is intended. Plus, you'd be sadly disappointed if you tried to sue me.

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><p>"Finish them."<p>

"No."

"If you finish them, then you can go."

"_Noooooooo_."

"Fine. We'll just sit here until you do. Would you like to move tables so that you don't have to watch the other kids? I mean, since you aren't going to finish your nuggets so you can play, too…"

"_Hmmmph_." The little sandy-haired boy beside me crossed his arms and poked his bottom lip out as far as it would go.

"Be careful not to trip on that thing. I'd hate for you to get hurt."

"_La-Laaaaa_," he whined.

"I'm just sayin'." I turned my attention back to my own chicken sandwich and fries, trying to ignore the petulant child sitting next to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him turn his attention toward the multi-colored play area, watching the other children as they climbed up through the plastic levels. You could hear them as they scrambled through the tunnels overhead followed by the drumming sounds indicating that one was making his or her way down the twisty slide.

As soon as Brandon let out a heavy sigh, I knew I had won the battle. He picked up one of his last two chicken nuggets and shoved it into his mouth making his cheeks poke out chipmunk style.

"Brandon, you know better than that. Where are your manners?" He grinned at me and laughed a little at his own silliness. "Make sure you chew that up well, okay?" He nodded and I watched his jaw move up and down for a few moments until he swallowed it all down. Before he could shove the remaining one in his mouth, I reminded him once again, "Bite, please." He did as I asked and took one last drink of his juice box before he hurried out of his shoes and over to join the other children.

"They are just too busy for their own good, aren't they," the lady at the table across from me asked. I laughed a little and nodded.

"Definitely. Meal time is always a fight for us. He's too busy and too picky." I focused on trailing the hurried little boy with my eyes as he darted around the room.

She laughed in and nodded in agreement.

"I know. Mine are five, seven and ten. They're either all arguing with me about what we're having for dinner or arguing amongst themselves at the dinner table. It's never peaceful." I chuckled again and nodded my head. "How old is yours?" she asked.

A small smile came to my lips as I answered, "Three, almost four."

"They're sweet at that age."

"Sometimes," I laughed in return.

"Yeah, sometimes," she agreed.

I checked my watch and noticed how close it was to noon. The nervousness I had tried to push back earlier set in once again. Brandon had not spent the night away from home in almost three years. Although we had talked about the weekend, I knew the words I had said probably went straight from my mouth, through his ears and back out. I was worried how he would react tonight and honestly, how I would. I hadn't spent the night away from him in three years either.

He ran back and forth, climbing and sliding and screeching with the other kids. Right as the second hand hit the number twelve, I spotted a familiar face and groaned to myself. It was time.

"Hi," Jasper said as he sat down across from me.

"Hi," I responded softly. We sat in silence, observing for a few moments, before Brandon looked our way and broke into a smile. He rushed over to the table and skidded to a halt, losing his balance and toppling to the floor. Jasper helped him up and Brandon automatically threw his little arms around Jasper's neck. I wanted to cry.

"Hi, Daddy!" he said excitedly.

"Hi, buddy. Are you ready to join me for a guys' weekend?" Big blue eyes widened at the question and he jumped up and down.

"Yes! Are we ready to go now?" I was surprised that he was so anxious, and a little scared too. What if he decided Jasper's house was more fun? What if he came back and said he didn't like me anymore? What if….

"Well, let's go get your bag, okay?" Brandon nodded in agreement and soon we were standing at the trunk of my car, Jasper holding Brandon's hand while his other was occupied by the little green dinosaur bag. I bent down to Brandon's level, trying my best to fight back the tears so he wouldn't think I was upset with him.

"You be a good boy, okay buddy? Remember to mind your manners and do as Daddy says, okay?"

"Okay, La-La, I will," he promised solemnly.

"Can I have a kiss and a hug?" He threw his free arm around my neck, unwilling to let his daddy's hand go. I got a quick peck on the lips and that was that. I stood up, still trying to compose myself, but my lip was quivering so badly that I was afraid I was going to start sobbing in the middle of the parking lot and embarrass myself. I took a deep breath and looked Jasper straight in the eye.

"Remember to brush his teeth and make him potty before bedtime. There's a ziplock baggie in there with vitamins he can have in the mornings. Just one each day. I also packed an extra set of clothes and underwear and…."

Jasper held up his hand and stopped my rambling.

"Bella, I know. You've told me a thousand times. And I still have the detailed list you had Mrs. Cope give me. I promise he'll be ok."

"You promise?" I confirmed wearily.

"I promise," he repeated. "Plus, Mom will probably not leave us alone the entire weekend, so I'll be supervised." He laughed a little and in that moment, I could see the nervousness appear around the frayed edges of his calm exterior.

I knew Charlotte, Jasper's mom, would be there and oversee that things were going smoothly. We had spoken several times over the phone, and she spent most of those conversations reassuring me that everything would be fine. I was sure that she would be there to help Jasper out in the event that he needed her. Since she had already raised a child, I was pretty sure I could trust Charlotte to take care of Brandon. But I had a _really_hard time trusting Jasper. I was working on it.

"Okay. If you need anything, though, please don't hesitate to call me."

"I will, Bella. Come on, buddy." They started toward a sedan at the end of the parking lot.

"I love you, Brandon!" I called out.

"Love you, too, La-la!" He waved and then disappeared as Jasper placed him in his car seat. I choked back a sob once more and climbed into my car, praying to God that this wasn't a mistake and hoping that Jasper didn't mess this up. That little boy was my life, and I would protect him with it.

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><p>Chapters won't always be this short. Thoughts? I'll try to put a teaser on Fictionators next week. Update next Wednesday.<p> 


	2. Sprout

**Wow. What an amazing response you guys have given me to the beginning of this fic! Thank you all. I hope you continue to enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.**

**The usual suspects, EmDempster, EllisBell725 and knittingvamp7, helped me with this chapter. Disclaimer still applies. You know I don't own it. **

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><p>I pulled into the driveway of the little white house I shared with Brandon. My mood was solemn and I just wanted to wallow in my pity party the rest of the day while I worried myself sick about him. I hoped he didn't have a meltdown after they got to Jasper's house or, worse, was begging to come home.<p>

Remote in hand, I plopped down on the couch and flipped through the TV channels, barely paying attention to anything that was on.

It was so…quiet in the house. No car sound effects from a little mouth as a matchbox car raced across the hardwood floor. No begging for snacks or juice. No debating about where Max and Ruby's parents are.

I couldn't stand it. My planned pity party was already driving me nuts.

After turning the TV off and throwing down the remote, I grabbed my keys and left the house again. There were several things I could have been accomplishing instead of moping and worrying myself into an even more ridiculous depression.

I meandered through town for a few minutes before deciding to stop off at the bookstore. It had been a while since I'd bought a new book and there was one in particular that I had previously made a mental note of to pick up. The movie adaptation would be in theatres in a few months and I wanted to see how much they butchered story when it was released.

I browsed the aisles for a while, lost in my thoughts. I hoped that Brandon was okay. I couldn't get him off my mind. But I knew that if I did this for the rest of the weekend, I would drive myself insane.

Eventually, I located the book I had come for, along with a few clearanced romance novels. If this "alone time" I was experiencing was going to be a recurring event, at least I could catch up on some reading. Or have something to stare at while worrying.

After paying for my items, I grabbed the bag off the counter and turned quickly, immediately slamming my sack of books into the guy behind me. He let out an, "Ooof," and grabbed his midsection while bending over to catch his breath. I was mortified.

"Ohmygosh, are you ok? I'm so, so sorry!" He kept his head down and waved me off as he started to straighten back up. He took a deep breath and finally stood up to his full height, towering over me. His eyes were still closed but mine nearly bugged out of my head.

Port Angeles is a relatively small city, though not near as small as some of our surrounding towns. But still, everyone pretty much knows everyone, especially if you've lived here your entire life. And since my dad was chief of police and had been for the last fifteen years, I _did_know everyone.

But this guy, I had never seen before. And what a disappointment that was. He was delicious. Wild brown hair streaked with red tones throughout, a sharp jaw line covered in day old scruff and nice, broad shoulders were what I noticed first.

Until he opened his eyes.

They were gorgeous, a dark peridot that looked like they belonged in a jeweler's display encased by a platinum setting. They were so captivating that I couldn't stop staring at him. Somehow, I did find the wherewithal to ask him again if he was okay.

"It's okay. No harm done. I mean, I don't need all twenty-four ribs, right?" Even though his smile was teasing, I couldn't help but repeat my apology.

"No, really," he replied as he shook his head slightly. "I'm fine. No harm done." I found it hard to look away from his piercing eyes, but ducked my head slightly when I realized I was ogling.

"Well, okay…sorry again." He waved off my apology and I snuck in one last glance before leaving the store. I couldn't help but wonder where he came from and if he was just visiting town and who he belonged to. _Who he belonged to? What was he, a stray dog? _

I headed a few doors down to pick up a refill I had called in earlier in the day. Apparently everyone and their mother was sick or needing refills today, so the pharmacists were backed up. Of course, I had waited until I had taken my last birth control pill last night to remember to call it in. So I was stuck. It wasn't like I had any reason to be on the pill, but you never know when Prince Charming is going to show up, right? I snorted lightly to myself when the thought ran across my mind. Yeah, right.

"Bella Swan!" Mr. Molina's voice boomed over the small store and every head turned my way. Perks of being the chief's daughter. I smiled and gave a small wave to the faces I recognized.

Mr. Molina lectured me about 'making that yearly appointment' as I dug through my purse for my debit card. Once I pacified him and paid, I turned to go and _almost_ ran into bookstore guy again. He held up his hands defensively and dramatically backed up to give me enough room to maneuver around him without any danger of coming in contact with his ribs.

I laughed and made a point of inching toward him little by little as I passed. His eyes widened playfully which made me laugh harder.

"I won't hit you this time, I promise." Those green eyes crinkled at the edges with laughter of his own. As I walked out the door, I stole a glance back to the counter only to see him watching me. I left him with a smile and contemplated on returning to ask his name. If he was retrieving a prescription, he was either new here or at least had family or friends here. Deciding against going back in, I hoped I would see him again.

Thirty minutes later, I puttered along one of the aisles in the Thriftway. My basket was already full of junk food and I was randomly throwing cookies and snack cakes into my basket when a voice caught me off guard.

"You know, I'm starting to think you may be stalking me."

I turned to see the handsome victim of my clumsiness at the bookstore. His lips were curved into a mischievous, teasing smile. I was shocked that he was flirting with me but appreciated the fact that his attention managed to put a smile on my face. In fact, he had made me smile twice already. In one day.

I had no idea whether he was single, taken, or married, straight or gay, but a little flirting never hurt, right?

"And why, might I ask, would I be stalking you? I've been here for a while and the last time I saw you, you were at the pharmacy. So the way I see it, if there is any stalking going on, it would be you stalking me." He laughed loudly and nodded his head in agreement.

"I guess you've called my bluff there." He held out his hand for me to shake and introduced himself. "Edward Cullen."

I placed my hand in his and was surprised that he grasped it with just the right amount of firmness. Men are usually afraid they'll break a woman's hand and close their hands around it like it's made of thin ice and easily broken.

"Bella Swan." He nodded in agreement like he already knew my name.

"Yeah, I know." I cocked an eyebrow in his direction and started to worry a bit.

"You aren't helping your stalking case here, you know." His eyes widened in horror.

"Oh! No! No, no, no. I just...I overheard the pharmacist call your name," he said sheepishly. My uneasiness diminished and I felt stupid for thinking someone would care enough to really be stalking me. Then his last name finally registered in my head.

"Cullen, as in Carlisle Cullen? Are you related?" Dr. Cullen was Brandon's doctor and a wonderful man. He helped around the community when he was available and even made house calls to the elderly. Since he started practicing here three years ago, he had managed to make everyone in the community fall in love with him, myself included. It also didn't hurt that he was a very easy on the eyes.

"Yes, Carlisle is my father." Like father, like son.

"Oh! I knew that he and Esme had a son, but she said you lived in Chicago. Are you visiting?"

"No, actually I've just moved here."

"Oh, well that's wonderful! I'm sure they are both thrilled." He faintly smiled at my statement, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"They are, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss home. I lived there my entire life. I didn't realize it would be so hard to pack up and move away." If he was trying to win my sympathy, he had it. Hook, line and sinker.

"I guess this is a bit of change from Chicago. Are you at least liking it so far?"

"It's okay. It rains a good bit more than I'm used to. I can handle the cold, but I'm not used to so much rain." His nosed scrunched up adorably at the end of the statement. I found myself smiling and admiring his cuteness. There was a rare boyish quality lying underneath the manliness.

"Well, I hope you enjoy it here. It's not a bad place to live." I leaned over and mock-whispered, "However, I heard there was a new stalker in town, so be careful."

He laughed again and retorted, "I'll be sure to watch my back."

"No worries. I'll get the police chief right on it. He is my dad, after all. I may have a little pull in the whole process of the system."

"Your dad is the police chief? I definitely better watch my back. Actually, maybe I should just go before you turn me in for stalking." He nudged his cart a few inches forward and I giggled at his antics. He seemed like a fun guy.

"You do that. I'll be watching you." I gave him the two finger, universal sign of 'I'm watching you', Jack Byrnes-style.

"Shouldn't that be my line? I think we're confused as to who is stalking whom here."

"Right now, I'm only worried about stalking this aisle of cookies with a glass of milk," I replied while grabbing a pack of Chips Ahoy and tossing them into my cart. I turned back around just in time to see his eyes trailing up my body. Definitely not gay.

"I better get my mom's groceries back to her before I convince myself to stalk you simply for your milk and cookies. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you, Bella Swan. I hope to see you around," he said with sincerity.

"You too, Edward Cullen. But I better not catch you watching me sleep tonight." He laughed loudly as he shoved his cart down the aisle and disappeared with a wave, leaving me with a grin of my own and a warm, fuzzy feeling inside that I had sorely been missing.

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><p><strong>I know a lot of you are waiting for some answers. You'll get a few next chapter. Thoughts? I tried to reply to most of the reviews last time with a teaser until review replies failed. I'll try do so again this chapter if it ever starts working again. You all may get PMs.<strong>


	3. Stem

**I am so, so appreciative of the support you guys have shown this little story. I hope you continue to enjoy the path it is taking. **

**EmDempster and EllisBell725 helped me once again. They are just generally fabulous. Disclaimer still applies.**

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><p>The McDonald's parking lot was deserted when I pulled in Sunday afternoon. Finding a spot in the back, I put the car in park and reached over for my book. I was fifteen minutes early for our agreed meeting time and thought I would try to get in some extra reading.<p>

Ten minutes later, I had abandoned the book and was drumming my fingers on the steering wheel, checking my watch every ten seconds and waiting for Brandon and Jasper's arrival. They pulled up right on time and I had to physically restrain myself from leaping out of the car. By the time I walked over to Jasper's car, Brandon was out of his seat and bouncing all over the pavement.

"Hi, La-La!" He called.

"Hi, buddy!" Jasper let go of his hand and Brandon plowed into my waiting arms. I hugged him tightly and peppered his sweet little face with kisses. TThe heaviness that had settled over me all weekend instantly lifted and I finally felt like I could breathe again.

"I missed you so much! Did you have a great time?" He nodded enthusiastically.

"We digged for worms and went fishin' and played the game and went to the park and slide down the slide!" The excitement in his voice made me giggle.

"I'm glad you had a good time!" I replied, genuinely happy and relieved that it went well. I had no desire to keep Brandon from his father unless I felt it was absolutely necessary. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Uh-huh. I bet my toys missed me." This child could make me smile like no other.

"I bet they did, too. Tell your Daddy bye." He twisted quickly and Jasper crouched to hug him.

"Bye, buddy. I'll see you next time, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy! Bye!" Jasper gave Brandon one last squeeze before letting him go. Released from his father's embrace, Brandon turned to clamber into the car.

"So, it went well?" Jasper looked exhausted, but the good kind of exhausted, like he was coming down off a high. Maybe that was the wrong choice of words...

"Yeah, it was great. He was really well-behaved. I guess I have you to thank for that. He's such a great kid." His voice was quiet and tentative like he was holding something back, but a smile graced his lips. I had to remind myself that it was all still new to him.

"Yes, he is," I replied with a small smile before ducking into the car to buckle Brandon's car seat. I stood back up and shut the door.

"Bella?" I turned toward Jasper's timid voice, shocked by how vulnerable he suddenly looked.

"Do you mind? I mean…well…would it be ok if I called every few days to check on him? You know, just to see how he is and maybe talk to him briefly." I cocked my head in confusion but he must have misunderstood my gesture.

"I mean, I just want to really try to work on this and I can't work on bonding with him if I only talk to him every other weekend. After spending time with him and seeing how grown up he is, I realize that I've missed so much. I don't want to miss out on the rest." I could hear the desperation in his voice and it was starting to become real to me that he actually might be in this for the long haul. He really did want to be Brandon's dad.

"Jasper, Mrs. Cope and I both told you that you could call whenever you'd like. I'm sure Brandon would love to hear from you." With the gleeful smile I received, one would've thought he had won the lottery.

"Great! That's great, Bella. Thanks."

"No problem, Jasper. See you in two weeks?" He nodded and sent one last wave over to Brandon before jumping in his car. Maybe this would work out after all.

~ D ~

The following week was the normal routine for us. Brandon went to preschool and daycare while I went to work. I had several appointments for showings, an indication that the real estate market was getting back on its feet after the slump of the past few years. Pacific Northwest Realty and its agents had made it through the recession mostly unscathed, but we had seen the figures for the bigger markets around us and they weren't pretty. It helped that we were one of only three real estate companies in a town of our size.

Wednesdays were a half work day for me, so, every week, I would pick up Brandon early from daycare, spend the afternoon with him and go to the gym in the evening. We would always meet my dad at the diner for dinner afterwards.

After my workout, I signed Brandon out of the kids play program and called my dad to let him know that we were on our way. As we were heading to the car, I looked up to see none other than Edward Cullen crossing the parking lot opposite us. He made eye contact with me and waved. I waved back and waited to see if he would cross over to speak to me, but his eyes shifted over to a skipping Brandon and I could immediately see the questions racking up in his brain. Not up to any type of explanation at that moment, I simply waved to him again and continued to my car without glancing back.

The diner was packed with its usual customers and, sure enough, my Dad was in 'our' corner booth. I greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and Brandon greeted him with a hug and immediately started recounting of his entire day. Dad listened intently, as if Brandon was the only person talking in the crowded diner. That was part of Charlie's charm. He was a great listener...most of the time.

While Brandon was occupied coloring on the paper placemat with the crayons Maggie, our waitress, brought him, Charlie broached the topic I knew was eating at him.

"So, how'd it go this weekend?" He spoke to his plate, avoiding eye contact with me, like he was afraid of what I would say.

"Surprisingly, very well."

"Really?" He met my eyes then, not bothering to hide his shock.

"Yeah, I never received a phone call and he's in one piece, so that rates a success in my book."

"Hmmph." The look he gave me reminded me so much of the little boy sitting next to me. The similarities of their mannerisms amazed me sometimes.

"Dad, I know it's hard, but give the man some credit. I really think he's trying."

"Yeah, we'll see," he grumbled. "He'd just better hope he doesn't do anything stupid while you-know-who is in his care or he'll have me to answer to." I loved that he made sure not to use any names so we could converse without little ears being alerted that we were speaking of him.

"I feel the same way, Dad. But I can't keep him away forever. He has a right to know his father." We locked into a brief stare-down before he nodded once and went back to poking at his food.

Moments later, he started shifting in his seat and clearing his throat, alerting me to what was coming next. It was the same question every week.

"Have you heard from _her_ lately?" I sighed, sad that my father was referring to his other daughter as a '_her'_. She had driven him to this point, but it broke my heart that their relationship had dwindled down to this.

"She has a name, Dad. It's Alice. In fact, I believe I remember Mom telling us _you_picked out her name." His eyes met mine suddenly.

"I did, in fact, pick out her name. But that girl is not the child I raised," he spat out gruffly. Hurt and grief shadowed his face and I hated that we went through this every week. I wished for just one Wednesday night dinner where we could pretend like we were a normal family instead of a broken one.

"I know, Dad, I know. But, no, I haven't heard from her in about two weeks." I reached over to help Brandon squirt some ketchup on his plate for his fries. He dipped one and shoved it into his mouth, grinning up at me with a ketchup-smeared face. That kid was the messiest eater I had ever seen.

"You'd think she'd be a little more concerned about what's going on here," Dad said quietly while gazing at Brandon. I couldn't argue because I knew that that was the last thing she was worried about.

"I know, Dad," I replied, sighing once more as I kissed the top of the head of the little boy next to me. I stroked his hair and studied his profile as the one thought I had time and time again crossed my mind - Just how much he bore an eerie resemblance to my sister…_his _mother.

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><p><strong>Review replies are still down, so if you get a PM from me, that's why. I'll continue to reply with teasers from the next chapter as long as I can. I've been submitting teasers to The Fictionators for Teaser Monday also. See you again next Wednesday (Tuesday night). =)<strong>


	4. Grow

**I'd like to spend this entire author's note gushing about how much I appreciate you guys and your response to this story, but I don't think any of you want to hear it, so I'll just say, once again, thank you.**

**EmDempster and EllisBell725 are the ones who make this pretty, but I have a habit of correcting things that don't need to be fixed, so any and all mistakes are mine. Disclaimer still applies. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Brandon, please be careful," I called across the yard. He was climbing the wooden play set like a spider monkey and Lily, Rosalie and Emmett's five-year-old daughter, was coaching him up from the top of the climbing wall. He, of course, followed her request and scrambled up the thing before I could call out my warning. When those two got together, the emergency room should be on standby.<p>

"That child either has no fear or no sense of self-preservation," I muttered. Rosalie overheard me from her chair and laughed.

"I think it's a little of both," she said. "He's a boy, Bella. Boys are not the smartest creatures, even at an early age."

"I heard that," Emmett said as he stepped through the French doors. "I'm perfectly capable of holding my own in a math tournament, thankyouverymuch."

"I know you are, honey," Rosalie cooed. "That's why you're such a good math teacher." Emmett gave his wife a big, dimpled grin and stooped down to lay a big kiss on her cheek. Momentarily placated, Emmett turned his attention to the grill. My best friend rolled her eyes at me and refocused on the kids playing in the yard while I giggled.

"Are Angela and Ben coming?" I asked. Since becoming my boss three years ago, Angela had also become one of my closest friends. She and Rosalie were my confidantes and support system. Without the two of them, I'm not sure how I would've made it through that first year.

"She said they were, but they'd probably be late. And unfortunately, I think Tanya is coming."

Her perfect nose curled into a sneer. It was no secret that Rose wasn't fond of her husband's cousin. I wasn't either, but I had to work with the woman so I pretended to tolerate her. But I avoided touching her for fear that she might be carrying some flesh-eating tropical venereal disease contracted from one of her many conquests.

"Well, at least all the men here are either related to her, too young for her or taken."

Emmett froze mid-hamburger flip and eyed Rosalie and me warily. "We may have invited someone else that you don't know. He's a new teacher and baseball coach at the high school." I groaned loudly when I realized why Emmett looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Along with Angela and Ben, those two were always trying to set me up with someone. I had my own little posse of matchmakers around here.

"You two are never going to give up, are you? Well, you might as well tell me something about him. What's his name?" I asked. Rosalie's smile spread across her entire face. Shit. Big mistake. _Always act uninterested, Bella! Don't feed the frenzy!_

"Edward Cullen." Well, that I could certainly handle. But I had to play it cool, otherwise Rose would start planning the wedding.

"Oh, him," I replied, waving my hand in nonchalance and trying to act like I didn't care. In reality, my insides were fluttering at the mere mention of his name. "We actually met in the grocery store."

She arched one perfectly waxed eyebrow in amused interest and I could see the wheels turning.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. That was a week ago and I haven't seen him since. Unless you count the parking lot at the gym, but he took one look at Brandon and I could see the questions burning a hole through his head."

Rose tossed her long, cornsilk hair over her shoulder and shrugged. "Well, any normal guy would question if an attractive woman with a child is tied down. You can't blame him, Bella."

"I know, Rosalie. It's just so complicated and I don't want to bring a string of guys in and out of Brandon's life." I looked over at him then, smiling when I saw how happy he was playing with Lily. It was gratifying to know that I could give him that. I didn't want to interrupt his life with a revolving relationship door.

"Like that'd ever happen? Bella, you've only been on a handful of dates in the past three years. How many guys have you introduced to Brandon?"

"One," I said sheepishly.

"Right. One. And Brandon was only a little over a year old at the time, right? I hardly think you qualify for hussy of the month."

My thoughts drifted to Riley, the one and only guy I had been in a relationship with since Brandon had come into my life. He was a great guy and he stuck it out for a while, but he wasn't too happy about the idea of an instant family. We had fun for a few months and then he moved on. It had been hard at the time, but I don't know if I would've ever considered myself 'heartbroken'. That proved to me that he wasn't 'the one' to begin with. Ironically enough, he moved on to a girl named Victoria and had her knocked up within six months.

"I know. I just want to be careful. I have a lot of priorities that come before a relationship right now," I replied quietly.

She nodded in agreement, but she always had to have the last word. "I know you do. When the time is right and the perfect person comes along, you'll see. It'll all work out."

**~ D ~**

An hour later, the barbeque was in full swing. Angela and Ben had arrived with their four year old son, Eric, in tow. The kids were climbing and playing in the back yard, lots of screams and an occasional case of tattle-telling making their way to the parents. Brandon was guaranteed a good night's sleep.

Edward had indeed shown up to the party. As did Tanya, who had been trailing him like a hungry puppy since he had walked through the door. Her blatant attempts at seduction and general efforts at whoring herself out to him received no response. Actually, he had sought me out soon after his arrival and snuck up on me while I was standing in the yard watching the kids.

"Just so you know, I was invited. This isn't on my list of prime stalker locations." I glanced back to the voice and was met with that warm, inviting smile that I vividly remembered from the grocery store.

"So, you're admitting you _do_ stalk?"

He sighed loudly with a dramatic look of defeat on his face. "I really keep digging myself a hole, don't I?"

"Pretty much," I laughed. "Need help climbing out?"

"A hand would be nice." I reached over and held one out. He chuckled as he grabbed and tugged on it a bit, succeeding in pulling me a bit closer to him. I didn't object. He smiled like he was proud of his achievement and let his hand linger in mine for a moment before they dropped back down to our sides. I shuffled my feet and blushed, a little flustered by his tiny intimate gesture. Trying to regain my senses, I cleared my throat and made small talk.

"I haven't seen you around lately. Are you getting settled in?" _Let's try not to sound too desperate there, Bella._

"No, not really. I'm staying with my parents temporarily. Between moving here from Chicago and trying to get things settled in my new classroom, I haven't had time to look for a house." My inner-business woman perked up at the sound of opportunity knocking on my door.

"Are you looking to purchase a home?"

"Mmmhmm," he replied with amusement etched across his face. "Wouldn't know anyone who might be able to help me out, do you?" He had a glint in his eye and I realized that he already knew I was a realtor. Though we never had a conversation deeper than analyzing his 'stalking' habits, we had been involuntarily gaining knowledge about each other today. Gotta love that friendship grapevine of information. We should just send our friends on our first date. _First date? Getting ahead of ourselves aren't we, Bella?_

"Absolutely! I'm sure Tanya would be thrilled to help you out," I teased. I saw real horror flash in his eyes and laughed.

I chanced a glance over in her direction only to see her face flaming red with irritation as she watched Edward and me interact. If she were a cartoon character, steam would've been coming out of her ears. She wasn't a graceful loser. I had found that much out the first year I beat her in sales.

"Actually, I had been informed that you were the best around." _Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Cullen._

"Psssh, whatever. Angela is the top producer for the county."

"Well, when the topic came up a few minutes ago at the table, she recommended that I come to _you_." Oh, I could see where this was going. Matchmaking culprit number two. I looked back over at Angela and caught her eye. She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, grinned and turned back to her conversation. Real subtle.

"I suppose I could make time in my schedule," I teased. His eyes lit up immediately.

"Really? That's great."

"Sure. You want to just meet up-" My sentence was cut off by a familiar wail. Brandon came running up holding his arm for me to see, his face scrunched and mouth opened in mid-cry, but there were no visible tears.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"La-La! I scwatched my arm on 'da swide!" With the way he was acting, one would've thought he had cut his arm completely off. Luckily, it was just a small, almost microscopic, scrape on his forearm.

"Honey, you aren't even bleeding. I think you're okay."

"But it hurts!"

"I'm sure it does," I cooed, consoling him. "Do you think we need to go to the emergency room? They could give you a shot," I teased as I poked him in the ribs. He giggled at my exaggeration.

"No, La-La! You're so silly. I don't need a shot!"

"Okay then." I kissed his boo-boo and looked up to see him staring at Edward.

"Brandon, can you say 'Hello'? This is Edward Cullen."

"Hello, Brandon," Edward greeted and stuck out his hand, but retracted it with amusement when Brandon shrank behind me and hid his face in the back of my leg. I reached around and patted his shoulder. He gave a muffled 'Hello' back, but that was as good as it was going to get for him.

"Go ahead and go back to playing," I coaxed. He loosened his grip on me and ran back to the play set. "Be careful, please!"

"Okay, La-La!" The shyness immediately dissipated once he was away from the stranger and the tiny hints of tears that had finally built up in his eyes were already dry. It was as if the incident was long forgotten. Though he'd most likely remember the scratch and use it as a handicap when I told him to pick up his toys at home later.

"Cute kid," Edward said thoughtfully a moment later. _Here we go..._

"Thanks." _Three...two...one..._

"Why does he call you 'La-La'?" Not exactly the question I was expecting, but maybe he was working up to it.

"When he was learning to talk, I kept repeating 'Bell-La...Belllll-La' to him, but he'd just cock his little head at me and refused to say anything." I smiled at the memory of a rounded-face, chubby Baby Brandon. "One day, he popped out with 'La-La' and stuck with it, like he had just been contemplating on a nickname for me the whole time and finally decided on one." I could recall that day vividly in my mind, remembering the way he spat out the name as if he had been holding it in until just the right moment.

"Huh. That's cute." He turned to smile at me briefly then was quiet again for a few moments. "So, am I correct in assuming that since he doesn't call you 'Mommy', he's not yours?" I blanched a little because I felt that Brandon _was_mine, but from the tone of his inquiry, I knew his words held no malice.

"Well, let's just say I didn't give birth to him, but he's mine in every other way. The rest is a long story. Maybe we can save that for a rainy day?" I asked quietly, hoping he'd let it go for today.

"Of course, Bella. You have no obligation to tell me anything. I didn't mean to intrude. I was just curious." Now I felt like a bitch.

"I know, and it's okay. It's just a bit of a long story and not something I'd like to get into today." He nodded in understanding. "But make no mistake, that boy owns me. He is my entire world."

His face lit up in a grin and he laughed quietly. "I can see that."

There were a few more awkward moments before he blurted out, "So, can I have your number?"

Even though I knew we would have to exchange information if he was serious about house hunting, his sudden question startled me. The shock must have shown on my face because he was hasty to provide an explanation.

"You know, so I can call you to get information on houses and other stuff..." He trailed off shyly. In that moment that I realized if he ever asked me out, there was no way I'd be able to resist him. I had no will power. Zero. Zilch.

"Sure." I rattled off my number as he punched it into his phone. He placed a quick call to my phone and I saved his number in my address book.

"There. All set. Can you come by the office sometime next week?" I immediately went into full-blown obsessive girly mode in my mind, mentally scanning through my closet and picking out my most flattering outfits. I needed help with my sanity.

"Sure. We start back to school next month, so I'm trying to get set up in my classroom and have meetings with other coaches, but I'm free at some point almost every day. Would Monday be okay?"

"Absolutely. We can go over your budget and pull some listings. If you have time, we can even look at a few. I don't have much going on that day."

"Great, Bella. I look forward to seeing what you have to offer me," he said, with a hint of laughter in his voice and a spark in his eye that made me think there was another meaning behind his words. His shyness from just a few moments earlier was gone, replaced by cheekiness. He was such a flirt.

"Well, I hope I don't disappoint," I countered saucily. So I flirted back. Sue me. It was the power of the pretty.

"I have a gut feeling that you won't," he replied with an adorable smile.

Yep. I was a goner.

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><p><strong>I always love to hear what you guys have to say. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	5. Bloom

**You guys are awesome. Thank you for all of your support.**

**Once again, EmDempster and EllisBell725 made this pretty. I really should credit those two as co-authors. Blame any mistakes on me. I couldn't stop tweaking after I got the chapter back.**

**Disclaimer still applies. Also, humor me for a moment, if you will, and read the author's note at the bottom of the chapter.**

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><p>Monday morning, I dropped Brandon off at daycare and headed into the office. Our receptionist, Jessica, whistled as I entered the front door.<p>

"Who are you showing a house to today? Jake Gyllenhaal?" She eyed my attire with wide eyes and a teasing smile. We kept the mood and the dress code pretty casual in our office, especially if we all knew no one had any in-office appointments. It wasn't out of the ordinary to see one or more of us show up in jeans and a t-shirt.

But today her curiosity was warranted. I had picked out a deep indigo fitted blouse and black pencil skirt this morning when rummaging through my closet, pairing the outfit with black, high-heeled peep-toes.

I'd be lying if I said it had nothing to do with the potential client I was meeting with. A power outfit was what I needed to show Edward Cullen that I was in control of my life, that I wasn't a timid little girl in a grown up world. I was a professional.

The little bit of cleavage the blouse hinted at would also remind him that I'm _all_woman.

"No one special." I waived her inquiry off with a smile. She looked at me with narrowed eyes, silently calling my bluff. She'd understand soon enough.

I stepped into my office and sat down behind my desk, checking my emails and logging into the MLS website.

At nine o'clock on the dot, my phone buzzed.

"Ms. Swan," Jessica sang. "There's an Edward Cullen here to see you."

"I'll be right there, Jess. Thank you."

I straightened a few things on my desk, stood and smoothed out my skirt, and walked out to the lobby. I didn't miss Jessica's knowing look that clearly said, "You dog," when I passed by her desk. I suppressed my grin and rounded the corner.

There he sat, in all his messy-haired glory and khaki chinos.

"Edward," I greeted. "Good to see you again."

"You too, Bella." He took my outstretched hand in his, pulling me from thoughts of how his black polo was such a dark contrast to his stunning eyes and wondering if they would glow in the darkness of a bedroom. I really needed to rein my libido; my hormones were getting the best of me.

"Come on back and we'll get started." I led the way to my office, ignoring Jessica when she mouthed, 'He's so hot!' as we passed.

For the next hour, I went into professional-Bella mode and tried not to ogle him and that adorable crease he had between his eyebrows when he was concentrating. We went over his budget, pulled listings and compared houses. He had already picked out a good batch that he wanted to see and I pulled a few I thought he might like. I made the necessary calls and by ten o'clock, we were on our way to the first house.

**~ D ~**

Four hours, seven houses and two diner hamburgers later, Edward still hadn't found anything he loved. There were a couple of houses left in our stack, but they were the ones I had pulled mainly because of the size of the home compared to the price. They weren't necessarily 'move-in ready' which is what I assumed he was after, but he agreed to see them.

As I turned my car down the county road towards the last house on our list, I was sure that in the twenty-four, almost twenty-five, years of my life I had lived in Port Angeles, I had never been down this road.

It was nearly five miles out of town and in a heavily wooded area. About a mile down the road on the left, a driveway led up to a decent-sized moss green house. The paint on the exterior was chipping and it looked like it would need some serious TLC, but the specs said that the heating and cooling system was only a year old and the roof had recently been replaced. Considering the square footage and recent upgrades, it was a steal.

We entered through the front door and explored the inside. The interior was in excellent condition, having recently been painted a neutral color throughout the three bedrooms, living room, den and kitchen. The main bath in the hall and the half-bath off the master bedroom were in great shape also. The rooms may have been a little smaller than I would have been comfortable with, but for a bachelor pad, this was perfect. Edward propped himself up against the original brick mantle in the living room, staring at the spec sheet I had handed him when we had finished the tour.

"This place really feels like it could a home. _My_ home. It has lots of acreage, but with all the surrounding woods, not a lot of maintenance." He sounded like he was talking to himself more than me, but I nodded along anyway. He was quiet a moment longer before speaking suddenly.

"I'd like to make an offer. Immediately."

"Immediately? Are you sure you don't want to see the rest of the houses?" I was a bit in awe of his hasty decision, but I could tell he really loved the house. He wandered back into the kitchen as he answered me.

"No. When I know, I just know." Though his words were spoken softly, finality in his voice left no room for question.

"Well, okay. If you're sure, then we'll go back to the office, write up the contract and I'll contact their agent." He nodded and we made our way out to the car and over to the office.

After writing up the contract and faxing it over for review, we had an immediate counter offer with a few minor changes. Edward accepted it without a bat of an eye. His confidence amazed me. Most buyers weighed their decision for days on end before they actually signed a contract. He had picked out a house and signed a contract within a matter of hours.

I sent the signed contract to his mortgage broker on his behalf and walked him out to the parking lot. He paused when he gripped the door handle and fumbled with the keys to a newish black, full-size truck.

"Bella, I've been wanting to ask you something, but I don't want to sound too forward. I know we just met, so I'll understand if you say no."

"Say 'no' to what?" I asked coyly.

"Would you like to have dinner or something sometime?" He peered at me from his lower lashes, reminding me more of a shy little boy than the self-assured man from earlier. It was very cute.

"Edward, I'd love to. But before you accept my answer, I need you to understand that I have priorities. Brandon comes first in my life and that's the way it'll always be. I don't want to drag him through a bunch of relationship drama and..." He cut me off there with a wave of his hand.

"Bella, I'm just asking for a date," he shrugged. "I'm not proposing marriage. Just time to get to know each other. We can see where it leads. Brandon can even come along if he'd like." He was offering to include Brandon? How could I say no to that?

"When?"

His face lit up and my heart clenched at the fact that one little word from me could make it transform like that.

"This weekend?" He asked hopefully. "Is that too soon?"

"No," I replied. "Actually, that's great. Brandon will be gone this weekend, so I'll have some free time."

"Okay. How about Saturday night?"

"Sounds good," I agreed. "What time?"

"Seven? I'll pick you up?" Eagerness crept into his voice by this time. I had to work to keep my laughter in check.

"Sure. I'll text you my address later in the week, ok?"

"Deal." I smiled as I turned back toward the building.

"Bella?" I turned back around.

"I'm really looking forward to it," he said with a grin. Despite my reservations, my answer was nothing but honest.

"Me too."

**~ D ~**

Saturday evening, I stood in front of my dresser mirror stressing myself out while my brown eyes stared back at me revealing the anxiousness I felt inside. I felt like my hair was too big, the perfume was too much and my jeans were too tight. Of course, my entire body felt too tight, so that could've been the reason. It had been months since I had been on a date, but even then I hadn't felt this nervous.

Grabbing a hair tie, I gathered my long brown hair into a ponytail and eliminated one of my worries. I smoothed my blue tank top, pulled on a few silver bangle bracelets and had just slipped on my favorite sandals when the doorbell rang. I plastered a smile on my face and answered the door.

Relaxation instantly flowed through my body at the sight of the man standing on the threshold. He was mind-bogglingly handsome in his jeans and button-up, the picture of relaxation with hands tucked in his pockets.

"Hi," he greeted quietly with a smile.

"Hi." Such articulate people we were.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you," I replied, blushing at his compliment and then silently chastising myself for being a preteen girl.

"Shall we?" He offered his arm like a true gentleman and I giggled at his gesture.

I nodded and grabbed my purse from the table next to the door. I locked up and hooked my arm through his, following him out to the waiting truck. In another gentlemanly move, he held open the door for me and made sure I was secure in my seatbelt before shutting the door and climbing behind the wheel.

"So...I have a confession," he admitted as he pulled out of my driveway.

"You've decided to stalk someone else?"

"Har har," he quipped back. "No, Miss Sassy Pants. You're stuck with me. Actually what I was going to say is I really don't have any plans for us. I don't know the town that well yet, so I hoped you could help me out a bit. I hate to be presumptuous, but I assume no reservations are required for any of the restaurants in town?" He ginned slightly as he snuck a glance at me out of the corner of his eye.

"No, we're pretty casual around here." I laughed and then shrugged. "That's fine. Actually, it's Summer Saturday downtown. We could go to that if you'd like. Most of the town will be there anyway."

"What's that?" He asked.

"Just a mini festival the town holds once a month during the summer. They close off the roads downtown and set up vendors and that sort of thing. There's usually a band on one end and some other sort of entertainment on the other. It's fun."

He sighed loudly. "How come my parents don't mention any of this stuff to me? I mean, I could've actually made a plan had I known this and made my game look a little better." I snickered along with him.

"I have no idea, but they're usually there. You mean they didn't mention it today?" He shook his head.

"No, but I haven't seen them much in the past few days. I've been spending a lot of time at school getting everything set up."

"See? I'm sure they didn't neglect you on purpose," I pointed out playfully.

"So you're okay with going there?" He smiled when I nodded.

"Absolutely. Brandon and I usually go but since he's not home this weekend, I just assumed that I wouldn't." My answer seemed to trigger a question that had been brewing in his head.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He's with his dad." He nodded, not pushing any further, but I could see a thousand questions running through his mind.

"They just recently started spending time together," I offered in explanation.

"Really? So you and Brandon's dad aren't..." He glanced over at me, eyeing me warily.

"What?" I exclaimed. "No, no. Nothing like that. I promise. There's no other man in my life besides the one who helped create me and the one I read a story to and tuck into bed every night." I could see the relief on his face and decided to press a little myself.

"What about you? Did you leave any broken hearts back in Chicago?" He laughed a little, alleviating some of the tension in the cab of the truck.

"No, not at all. There hasn't been a woman in my life, besides my mom, in quite a while."

"Well, now that we've established that we're both single and not sneaking around, what shall we talk about?" By this time, we had reached downtown and Edward was searching for a parking space. It was a beautiful evening and it looked like the entire town was making the most of it.

"Look, I'm sorry," He said almost bashfully. "I didn't mean to be so blunt about it. I just wanted to make sure." He found a space, pulled in and shifted the gear into park. I reached over and put my hand on his forearm closest to me.

"It's no big deal, Edward. Relax. You had every right to ask, as did I. We're good now. Let's enjoy the night, okay?" He nodded and we exited the vehicle. He offered me his arm once again and I took it, enjoying the way my hand felt tucked into the crease of his elbow.

We spent the rest of the evening strolling the streets of downtown, browsing the booths set up with everything from collectible coins to novelty toys for kids. We talked about how well his closing process seemed to be going and what he planned to do with the house. The home inspection was set for next week and after that, it should be smooth sailing. He had so many visions and ideas. I could tell that he'd enjoy the small amount of renovations he'd need to do.

Once we got past that first hour, our conversations flowed easily and even when we weren't speaking, the silence wasn't awkward, just comfortable. Everything with him seemed to be easy, with the exception of the initial first date nervousness.

More than once, people stopped us to say 'Hello'. Apparently, Edward had already met a good many townsfolk because most of them greeted him by name. I could just imagine Carlisle carrying him around town like a shiny, brand-new toy, introducing him proudly.

Eventually, Edward dragged me onto the makeshift dance floor they had set up near the bookstore where I first saw him. And when I say 'dragged', I mean I pretended to protest but really all I wanted was to be wrapped in his arms.

We swayed back and forth slowly in the middle of the crowd while the girl onstage sang a song about being someone's one and only.

"This is very nice," he spoke close to my ear. I nodded and hmm'd in agreement, realizing how much I missed things like this. Not that I regret my life with Brandon. I just hadn't realized how much I enjoyed having a man's arms wrapped around me, how much it felt like I was enveloped in warmth and so safe, nothing in the world could harm me. It was nice to feel taken care of for once.

"You know, I never asked you," I started. "Why did you move here? Simply to be close to your parents?"

"Well, that and a few other reasons. My mom found a lump in her breast a couple of months ago." I jumped back slightly, shocked at the news. Esme had been quite the social butterfly since she and Carlisle had moved here. I was surprised that I hadn't heard this through the small town gossip mill.

"Oh my goodness, Edward! Is she okay?"

"Thankfully, yes. It turned out to be benign. But it scared the hell out of me. When they initially called me, I hated that I couldn't be there for my mom. She's been there for every tiny detail of my life, cheering me on in my achievements and lifting me up when I failed. But when she needed my support, I was across the country. I was teaching at a high school in Chicago, but they didn't need another baseball coach and that's really my passion. So I made a few calls and was lucky enough to land a job here since the old coach retired last year. I had just arrived in town a few days prior to meeting you. The first thing I did was hug my mom. If anything, her ordeal taught me to never take your mother for granted."

"I know what you mean," I replied quietly. He looked at me for a moment but didn't press for me to elaborate on that statement. It was a mark in his favor that he didn't seem to push for more information.

"Anyway," he continued, "it worked out perfectly, almost like it was fate. I think this is where I'm meant to be." He paused, assessing my reaction before adding on, "Do you believe in fate?"

Feeling the warmth of his hand through my thin shirt on the small of my back and losing myself in the way his eyes focused on mine made me want to confess every thought that ran through my head. He made me feel so much in such little time. I had never been so desperate for a man's touch.

"I never did before, but I'm starting to."

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><p><strong>As always, I'd love to hear what you think. I also need to point out that ff(dot)net has changed their review reply engine and now all review replies come via private message. So if you have PMs turned off, I cannot reply to your review.<strong>

**As I'm sure you're all aware, cities upon cities across the country have been devastated by the recent tornadoes. I've witnessed the damage from the April 27****th**** tornadoes first hand and have seen the destruction caused by them. "Fandom For Storms" has been put together as a fundraising effort for all of the recent victims of the storms. I'll link their page so you can check out the info for donating. I've volunteered a Dandelion outtake as part of the compilation, but I can't decide between two. So I'm asking you guys. If you review, let me know if you would rather see an outtake of Brandon's birth or Edward's point of view from the first few chapters. Majority rules! Thanks again for reading!**


	6. Wild

**I adore you all. If you have recommended this story to someone, please let me know so I can tell you how much I love and appreciate you.**

**Same people, EmDempster and EllisBell725, were my partners in crime on this chapter. Disclaimer still applies.**

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><p>"Can I have 'dis?" Brandon held up the Fruity Pebbles box with pleading eyes. I eyed Fred and Barney warily before grabbing a box of Honey Nut Cheerios.<p>

"How about these instead? They are yummy!" I exclaimed with false exaggeration.

"_Noooo_, LaLa," he whined. "I want '_dees_." The perfected pouty lip of all four year olds appeared.

"We aren't getting those, Brandon Charles." He started whining while I pulled another box off the shelf as I replaced the Fruity Pebbles.

"You can have the Cheerios or Kix. Which one?" I asked, holding the boxes side by side. He reluctantly grabbed the Kix box and proceeded to make it the base of the tower he was building with the items in the shopping cart while singing "Old MacDonald" quietly to himself. Satisfied that he was over his pouting and momentarily preoccupied, I finished my shopping.

As I stood in line at the checkout thumbing through a tabloid, Brandon's growing giggles distracted me from the glittered covered ponies at Kim Kardashian's wedding. I looked up to see him smiling over my shoulder at something, so I turned to see what it was. Imagine my shock when I saw Edward standing behind me with his eyes crossed and tongue hanging out of his mouth. He quickly straightened out his face and blushed fiercely when he realized he'd been caught.

"Very nice. Do you perform at parties and make balloon animals?" I teased. He smiled sheepishly as Brandon begged from behind me, "Do it again! Do it again!"

"I can't!" Edward exclaimed. "I got caught!" He leaned forward and mock-whispered to Brandon. "We'll do it again when she turns around." Brandon nodded giddily.

"Brandon, do you remember Mr. Cullen? You met him at Lily's house, remember?" Brandon stared at him, trying to dredge up the memory buried deep beneath superhero names and cartoon theme songs.

Edward groaned. "Are you seriously going to make him call me Mr. Cullen? Bella, I'm only twenty-eight. Mr. Cullen is my dad."

"It doesn't matter to me. He can call you Edward if you'd prefer. I'll let that be up to you." He reached around me and held out his hand for Brandon to shake.

"You can call me Edward, little man. How about that?" Brandon studied him for a moment before placing his tiny hand in Edward's and shaking it.

"Okay, Ehwurd." Edward laughed a little at the unintentional new nickname Brandon's toddler lisp created.

Brandon went back to rearranging his tower of boxes in the cart when Edward moved to stand behind me.

"How was your day?" he asked, leaning forward slightly with his mouth quirking at the corners and eyes crinkling.

It was the little things like that making me slowly fall prey to his charms and that had made our first date so...easy. When he brought me home for the evening after leaving Summer Saturday, we sat in his truck in my driveway for an hour just talking. Our conversations ranged from college to current movies to music. He seemed to skirt around the topic of Brandon's placement with me but still managed to talk about him and indulge me when I bragged about his accomplishments.

He was a perfect gentleman the entire night. He didn't seem to expect a kiss at the end of the night or at least he didn't attempt one. If he had, I probably would've obliged. I had a feeling I would have a hard time resisting anything from him.

Over the past week and a half we had experienced small interactions and moments that would make me swoon a bit as I thought of them before I fell asleep at night. He would text or call during the day just to say, "Hi," or drop by the office on the pretense of asking a question about the closing process but we would end up just chatting about everything and nothing at all. He even brought me lunch one day, remembering that I told him on our first date how much I loved the teriyaki chicken from the local Chinese restaurant.

"It was busy," I responded in answer to his simple question. "I had a few showings this morning and then a closing this afternoon. But I don't mind busy. In an economy like this, 'busy' is a good word."

"So I've heard." I peeked inside the basket he held and saw the microwave dinner stashed in there.

"Big plans tonight?" I asked.

"My parents are in Seattle for the next couple of days, so I dropped by to pick something up for dinner. I can't eat pizza every night and ruin my girlish figure," he declared dramatically, posing with a hand on his hip before he winked, as I l giggled in return. His sense of humor was one of the things I adored about him.

"All kidding aside, it really stinks when you get spoiled from home cooking again just to have it ripped away suddenly. Now I have nothing to soften the blow of catching up on lesson plans."

I instantly felt bad for him. Microwave dinners are terrible. I knew a home cooked meal is always more enjoyable, and I always had leftovers from dinner. I started stacking up my items on the conveyor belt as I straightened out the thoughts and feelings swirling in my head.

I looked over at Brandon who was stacking the boxes of food he had been playing with onto the conveyor belt. I had explained to Edward that I didn't want to bring men in and out of Brandon's life, and he understood. But asking him to dinner wasn't subjecting Brandon to a revolving door of relationships, was it? Surely not. And Edward was a nice guy. If he'd simply been after a booty call, he would've tried to get what he was after on the first date. As I paid for my groceries and loaded the bags into my cart, I made up my mind.

"You know, Brandon and I were planning on having a simple dinner of baked chicken and potatoes, but we'd love to have you join us if you'd like." The look of surprise that crossed his face was almost amusing.

"Are you sure, Bella? I don't want you to feel pressured." Those words reassured me that I was making the right decision.

"It's no pressure. He's met you already anyway, right?" The crease in between his eyebrows slowly relaxed and a lazy smile graced his face.

"Yeah, okay. Thanks. I'd love to come."

"It'll be ready by six. Just come over whenever you're ready. We'll be there."

"Sounds great. See you later, little man?" He asked Brandon who nodded absently, content with smashing my bread. I snatched it up and whisked him away to the sound of Edward's laughter.

**~ D ~  
><strong>

Sometime in between our trip to the store and Edward's arrival at our house, the toddler fairy must have slipped Brandon a dozen Pixy Stix.

As I prepared dinner, I wrestled with him to keep his clothes on and his messes to a minimum. However, every time he appeared in the kitchen, he was wearing one less article of clothing and one more toy was lying neglected on the floor. By the time Edward knocked on the door, Brandon had stripped down to only his Spiderman underwear and an old Halloween costume cape and was running back and forth from the living room to his bedroom yelling, "Captain Brandon to the rescue!" at the top of his lungs.

"Hi," I said breathlessly. I was running behind, not really prepared for having company. But the easy smile on his face made all the rushed cleaning and cooking worth it.

"It smells great in here," he said as he stepped through the door, just in time to catch the latest pass of "Captain Brandon" as he tore through the living room. I grabbed the superhero and made him say hello before releasing him to chase after the bad guys.

"Sorry, I don't know what in the world he is hyped up on, but he's wild tonight."

Edward just laughed. "I understand. He's just a boy. We're all wild by-"

"Nature. Yeah. I know. I've been told that a half million times." I rolled my eyes and walked toward the kitchen, gesturing him to follow me as we dodged a flying teddy bear from the direction of Brandon's bedroom.

"Have a seat." I pointed to the small table in the corner of our kitchen.

"Can I do anything to help?" he asked.

"No thanks. The chicken just has a few minutes longer. The potatoes are already in a dish and the salad is in the refrigerator."

He inhaled deeply. "Thanks again for rescuing me from that frozen dinner. I don't know how I survived on all that fast food after my mom and dad left Chicago."

"Did your mother cook you dinner every night?"

I'm sure I looked horrified as I said this, but I certainly did not want to have to sever apron strings before I could have a relationship with someone. He laughed at what must have looked like disdain on my face.

"No. But she did invite me over once or twice a week. We didn't live far from each other, so I would take her up on it. Most of the time there were leftovers she would send home with me, and I could easily stretch those for a day or two, leaving me one or two days a week to fend for myself."

"Surely you ate at other places besides fast food joints."

"Not often. My apartment was filled with stacked pizza boxes and Chinese takeout cartons."

My imagination conjured up frightening images of what his stereotypical bachelor pad must have looked like. Maybe he would be a little easier on his house.

"You didn't date often, then?" I couldn't help it, the words just came tumbling out. Even though we had established that neither of us was currently seeing someone, we weren't quite at the point to discuss past relationships. Were we?

"First, I'm glad you recognize that I would never, ever take a girl to the local McDonald's on a date. Burger King, however, is a different story," he teased as he made his way over to prop up against the end of the counter.

"Second, it's been quite a while since I've dated anyone. Long story short, I had a three year relationship that ended almost a year ago. There was no cheating, no scandal. We just grew apart and wanted different things. Actually, I wanted to grow up, get married and have a family and she just wanted to live in Never Never Land. We both realized what had happened, parted ways somewhat amicably and that was that. I've been over it and have moved on."

He shrugged as if it didn't bother him at all, but I couldn't imagine being with someone three years and then just being okay with never seeing them again. However, he _did_ say it had been a year and he seemed fine. _Don't go looking for trouble where there's none to be found, Bella._ I nodded in understanding while I bent over to pull the chicken out of the oven.

"My story is pretty much the same," I started as I checked to make sure it was done. "The last serious relationship I had was about two years ago. We dated for a few months, but he wasn't too keen on Brandon. It was more than what he was looking for at that time." Edward scowled, seemingly upset by my comment, but I couldn't hold anything against Riley.

"Don't be too hard on him. He knocked up his next girlfriend within a couple of months. He seemed happy the last time I saw him, though, so it just wasn't meant to be with us. No biggie."

Brandon's plate of cut-up chicken and potatoes was set at his place on the table, so I called him for dinner. I turned to see Edward staring at me. Maybe the same questions I had about his past relationship were running through his head about mine. If that was so, I really was overanalyzing things because there was nothing there for him to worry about.

"Let's eat," I said, gesturing to the table as Brandon bounded into the room.

The conversation at the dinner table was entertaining, to say the least. Edward engaged Brandon into a conversation about superheroes and their powers. The man's attention to Brandon was making me swoon a bit, but I tried not to get ahead of myself. It was still very early in our…relationship, if that's what you wanted to call it. Brandon seemed fascinated with Edward's knowledge of Spiderman and was gazing at him with adoration. It didn't escape my attention that he was eating his dinner without being told or having a breakdown.

The phone rang, so I excused myself and left them to their conversation while I walked into the next room and answered. The noise on the other end was so loud that I jerked the phone away from my ear in a quick, automatic reaction.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end called. "_Heeelllllooooooo_?" I recognized the sing-song voice immediately.

"Alice?"

"Bella! Hi!" She was practically screaming into the phone. I kept the earpiece about an inch from my ear.

"Hi. Where are you? I can barely hear you."

"I'm at a friend's house. In Phoenix."

"Pheonix?" I exclaimed. "What in the world are you doing in Pheonix? Alice, you missed the court date two weeks ago. Have you not been color-coded?"

Whether she realized it or not, the courts frowned heavily upon missed court dates and random drug tests. She was supposed to call in every day to see if her color had been chosen. If it was, she had to go in for drug testing. It was part of her agreement with the courts and her "individual strategy plan" to get back on track. I didn't think it was working.

She, of course, ignored my questions and focused on the one thing she always seemed to care about: herself.

"I caught a ride down here with a friend a couple of weeks ago. It was an awesome road trip and I met so many people! You should come, Bella! We're having soooo much fun!" Her voice had turned into a squeal and it hit me that she was probably drunk or high…or both.

"Sure, Alice. It's not like I have anything to take care of here," I snipped as I rolled my eyes. "I have company. What is it that you need?"

"Bella! Who said I needed anything? Why can't I just call my sister to say hello?" She giggled and I heard her talking to someone else, asking them to give her a minute because she was 'talking to her baby sister'.

"Because you never call unless you need something."

"Sure I do. But actually, I wanted to talk to Brandon." _Surprise, surprise._

"Alice, I doubt he'll talk to you. He hates talking on the phone." Charlie frequently called after we settled here to talk to Brandon because he missed him. As a result, Brandon ended up avoiding me whenever he saw the phone in my hand.

"Of course he'll talk to his mama! Put him on," she demanded. I sighed and pressed the earpiece of the phone to my forehead briefly. I knew it would be useless to argue with her, so I peeked around the corner and called Brandon from the table.

"Sorry," I mouthed to Edward and held up a finger to indicate that we'd be just a moment as Brandon climbed down from his chair.

"Here." I held up the phone to Brandon when he joined me.

He put the phone to his ear and mumbled, "Hello?" I heard Alice shrill, "Hi buddy!" before he handed it back to me and scurried back to the table.

"He doesn't want to talk, Alice."

"What do you mean? Of course he does. Give him the phone back!" I could hear the attitude creeping back into in her voice.

"Alice, he's already back at the table and he's eating dinner. Just leave him be."

"Don't you tell me what to do, Bella! I want to talk to my son!"

"Alice, you can't just pop in and out of his life when you feel like it and expect him to welcome you with open arms! He barely knows you! He won't even talk on the phone to Dad, Alice. What makes you think he'll talk to you?"

"Fuck you, Bella." I could envision the sneer on her face spewing the venom I could hear in her voice. "Fuck you and your judgmental ways. You don't fucking know me!"

"Alice," I replied calmly, "of course I know you. You're my sister, for God's sake."

"You don't know what I've been through," she continued. "How dare you judge me! How dare you! You think you can just take my place and take my son? I hate you! Fuck you!"

She ended her tirade by slamming down the phone. As I hit the end button on mine and stared at the black receiver in my hand, I tried to reason with myself and argue that she was just under the influence. This wasn't the first time she had said such hurtful things. She didn't mean those words. She was never like that before Mom died and ironically her temper had leveled out when she was pregnant.

She was obviously using again, causing her to have a short fuse. But as much as I could reason with my brain, I couldn't reason with my heart, and those traitorous tears started to fall.

"Bella?" I turned to see Edward standing in the doorway, his face overcome in concern. I turned back quickly to wipe the tears away. Even thousands of miles away, Alice still managed to ruin everything tonight.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I just-" I waved the phone around and he understood.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes." I paused. "No." It hadn't been for a long time.

"Anything I can do? Just want to talk? I'm a good listener."

"I don't want to burden you with this mess, Edward." He sighed heavily and moved to stand in front of me. Reaching down to gently take my hand, he made sure I was looking at him before he continued.

"Bella, I don't think you understand. I like you. I'm pursuing you. Surely you can tell that by now," he said with an exasperated smile.

I laughed through my sniffles.

"So that means I want to know about you. And about him." He pointed to where Brandon sat at the table, oblivious to everything but the pile of potatoes on his plate he was smashing with a fork. "Don't be ashamed. Nothing you can tell me is going to scare me off, but I need to know what I'm up against here."

"It's a long story," I said quietly.

"I believe I can keep up." He wasn't letting it go. This was the moment that would either make or break this thing we had going.

"Let me get Brandon bathed and in bed. You have a little while?" He smiled that smile I felt was just for me and nodded.

"For you, I've got all the time in the world."

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><p><strong>Reviews are better than Rob telling you he wants to take you backstage. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. I apologize for not replying to reviews for last chapter. It was a crazy week. But I read and appreciated them all! I should be back on track this week.<strong>

**Brandon's Birth outtake won the vote, but I may do an Edward outtake eventually.**


	7. Blow

**You guys are fabulous. Thank you.**

**If it weren't for EllisBell725 and EmDempster, you wouldn't want to read this mess. They are awesome.**

**Disclaimer still applies. This chapter kicked my butt. Originally it was 2500 words of dialogue. I hope I've edited it enough that it isn't awkward, but there is still a lot of necessary dialogue. Consider yourself warned.**

**I believe this chapter contains lots of answers to lots of questions.**

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><p>Getting Brandon settled took longer than expected. He hadn't quite come down off his mysterious high from earlier, so giving him a bath was like trying to bathe a chicken. The bathroom was soaked by the time I got him out and dried him off.<p>

When he was dressed he climbed into bed, rubbing his eyes and yawning, insisting that he wasn't sleepy. He required 'Ehwurd' to join us for story time and Edward was more than happy to oblige. The moment seemed a little intimate to me, but Edward was okay with it so I took my place on the edge of Brandon's bed and read _Where the Wild Things Are_ while Edward sat in the chair across the room. Brandon was fast asleep before Max could sail back home.

"You want some coffee?" I asked as we headed back into the living room.

"Am I going to need it?"

"Probably," I muttered loud enough that he heard me. "Better yet, how about you go to the liquor store and get us a bottle of Jack."

He laughed and followed me into the kitchen.

Despite my protests, Edward insisted on helping me clean up. I smiled as I put the coffee on, thinking to myself about how helpful, kind and considerate that man was. We worked silently washing and drying dishes as the coffee pot filled. Once the dishes were done and the kitchen was clean, I filled two mugs with the freshly brewed coffee. Edward took his black and teased me as I put enough sugar and creamer in mine that it became coffee-flavored sweet cream.

We moved to sit on the couch in the living room. As Edward settled in, nerves kept me from getting comfortable and I couldn't stop moving and shifting. Edward sat comfortably, trying to disguise his amusement as he watched me. I was about to change positions again when he reached over and grabbed my hand, locking our fingers together. The small gesture may have meant nothing to him, but to me it was a reassuring sign that he wasn't leaving. He was here to listen.

"Where do I start?" I was talking more to myself than Edward, but I appreciated his input when he gave it.

"Just start from the beginning," he shrugged.

I nodded, took a deep breath and launched head first into the story.

"My mother died when I was thirteen," I blurted. "Brain aneurysm."

He looked at me like I was crazy at first, most likely shocked at the way that sentence just burst from my mouth.

His expression quickly changed to one of sympathy. "Wow, Bella. I'm so sorry."

"It was unexpected and an incredible shock to us all," I recalled, my mind drifting to the memory. "She was out pulling weeds in the garden one day and collapsed. Our neighbor saw her lying on the ground and called 911. No one had any idea how long she had been there. They rushed her to the hospital and she was immediately admitted into ICU and put on a ventilator. The doctor declared her 'brain dead' as soon as they ran some tests and after a few weeks of no improvement at all, I remember clinging to my sister while we watched my distraught Dad sign some papers and then they unplugged her breathing machine. She died a few minutes later."

I teared up at the memory of that horrible time. It was something we had never really healed from.

"That must have been hard for you. Especially at such a young age," he commented quietly.

I nodded and continued. "After she died, my Dad kind of withdrew for a while. That was his way of coping and, I'm so much like him, that was my way also. But Alice was more like Mom: outgoing, lively and energetic. They were very close and she didn't handle it well at all. She turned to some questionable friends for support and the attention she craved. Eventually, my popular, cheerleader sister, the one I had admired and looked up to my entire life, became someone I didn't know. Dad had to bail her out of jail several nights in different surrounding towns. He was so embarrassed.

"I remember the very last time he did it. He had to go all the way to Seattle to bail her out. She had been arrested with a group of people in the back of a club. They were all high on cocaine and while she didn't have any on her, she was with the group, so they had to take her in. When they got back early the next evening, they got into a huge fight. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner when it started. Dad started lecturing her, saying he couldn't understand why she continued to do what she did. She, of course, got an attitude and it escalated. It ended with her accusing him of killing our mother when he signed those papers. The devastation of her conviction left him speechless."

I could still remember the look on my Dad's face when Alice said those words to him. It was the same look in his eyes as he signed the papers. He was heartbroken.

"I can't believe she would say something like that to him. Your father did what he thought was best, I'm sure." Edward squeezed my hand tighter and began to stroke his thumb across my knuckles.

"I know, and in her heart, she knew that also. But the words had already been spewed and there was no turning back. My dad was angry and Alice was livid. Now that I think about it, she was probably still coming down off her high, which didn't help matters. She disappeared to her room and left sometime in the middle of the night with most of her things. I called her and she told me she had gone to stay with some friends. She was eighteen by that time. There was nothing Dad could do. She dropped out of school, but she checked in with me often. She worked at several different places either as a waitress or cashier and was living with a different guy every other week. She and my Dad didn't talk during that time."

"They still don't speak, I assume?" Edward asked.

"Well, they did for a little while. After I graduated high school, I went to Grays Harbor in Aberdeen to study business. I had received a scholarship and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. On a weekend home in February of my sophomore year, I met Alice for lunch and she told me she was pregnant. She was so confident that she could clean herself up for her child. She had a steady part-time job and was staying with a friend. Jasper had kicked her out when he found out she was pregnant so she didn't have anywhere to live. I conned her and my dad into meeting me for dinner. It wasn't pleasant at first, but after she announced that he was going to be a grandpa, his entire demeanor shifted. When he found out about her living with a friend, he insisted that she come home.

"After that night, they slowly tried to mend their relationship. Alice stayed clean throughout her pregnancy. By the time Brandon was born, on my birthday by the way, things seemed to be much better between the two of them."

I continued to tell Edward the details of Brandon's arrival. I had been lucky enough to witness his entrance into the world, red-faced and screaming bloody murder. It was the best birthday present ever.

He listened intently as I described my transfer to U-Dub and how I came home on Thanksgiving holiday only to discover that Alice had moved out of my father's home and was living with Jasper once again. It had immediately sent me into a panic because I knew he was a dealer and had been supplying her with drugs before. She reassured me that he wasn't into that anymore, but I should've known better.

I stopped briefly to disappear into the kitchen for more coffee before resuming my story.

"The following summer, I was here working for Angela doing filing and whatever else she needed to save money for my next year at school. I was anxious to see everyone at home, especially Brandon, but I was still focused on finishing college. I wanted my English degree and I wanted to teach. I had a plan and nothing was going to interrupt it." I laughed a little thinking back to my youthful ignorance.

"I hadn't seen Alice in a couple of months. Her appearance was a shock to me and I instantly knew she was using again. I kept Brandon as much as I could the first few weeks I was back because I was terrified of what kind of situation he was living in. He was dirty and hungry every time I saw him, so I was worried that he was being neglected. I couldn't fathom that my sister would do that to her child since he was so small, not even nine months old. When I confronted her, she called me names and kept Brandon from me."

"On June fourth, Dad got a call from the station; they had Alice in custody after a drug bust at Jasper's place. The Department of Social Services had taken Brandon and placed him in emergency foster care. I panicked and called the social worker immediately to see what we could do for Brandon. I talked it over with Dad and he agreed to do whatever was needed to in order to get Brandon with us. So four weeks, lots of rushed paperwork and a home study later, Brandon was home with us and I was his legal guardian. He's been with me ever since."

Edward looked at me like he was missing a piece of this messed up jigsaw puzzle. "Why is he spending time with his dad now?"

"Jasper and Alice had a very… volatile relationship. The two of them were strung out the entire time they were together. They would get into what the cops called 'domestic disputes' but were really just excuses to beat the shit out of each other while drunk and high. Almost weekly, the cops would be called to their apartment or house or wherever they were. So, needless to say, when Alice found out she was pregnant and left him for the sake of the baby, it was most decent thing she had done in the seven years since our mom had died."

"After the drug bust, Jasper served about six months in jail and was on probation for two years. He's been clean since he's been out of jail, so a year ago they started weekly, supervised visitations. He and Brandon have been steadily building a relationship, and the judge recently granted him overnight visitations every other weekend. I don't agree with the decision because I still don't trust him. He has shady friends that I've seen him around town with," I said with a scowl. "But I don't have a choice. What the judge says goes. Judge Aro is notorious for favoring the birth parents in hopes that children are placed back with them."

Edward was quiet for awhile and finally said, "Wow, Bella, that's a lot to take on."

"I know it is. I'll understand if you aren't ready to date someone with a child and..." He held up his hand to hush me.

"No, Bella. I mean that's a lot for _you_to take on. Especially at such a young age."

"It was, but I didn't have any other option. He's my family and I couldn't let him stay in some stranger's house or be raised by someone who didn't know him. He needed to be here... with me."

Edward nodded. "I understand. But I'm not rushing to the door simply because of what you've told me. You've just spent the last half hour pounding into my brain what a strong, loving and wonderful woman you are. I'd be a fool to leave. Besides, I like Brandon. I'm hoping one day he'll like me, too."

"He already adores you, Edward," I replied. "He even invited you in for story time. Plus, you are all-knowing in regards to super heroes. That gave you an easy in," I teased before turning serious for a moment. "Just don't hurt his La-La," I pleaded with more emotion than I wanted to show.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Bella," he assured with sincere eyes. "You've been through enough. Besides, I'm kind of scared of little man."

"He _does_have some mad super hero skills. He's pretty protective of me."

"That makes two of us," he said quietly as he reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I need some fresh air," I said quietly. "Want to join me on the porch?"

He nodded in agreement, so I led him out the door and settled on the old swing hanging at the far end of the porch. I kept the door open and the screen up on the storm door, just in case Brandon woke up.

We sat in silence for a little while, swaying back and forth…back and forth…back and forth. His arm rested behind my shoulder and I could feel his fingertips rubbing my shoulder blades every so often. It was a small comfort and, in that moment, I felt so lucky. His early devotion to me…to _us_…was almost too good to be true.

"I'm sorry to dump all of that on you at once," I whispered. Most men would make an excuse and leave. No one wanted baggage, and I had a lot of it.

"I wish you'd stop that, Bella. I'm not leaving unless you tell me to." He was trying to be patient with my insecurities, I could tell. But I could hear the exasperation creeping into his voice.

"It's just a lot to take on. Believe me, I know."

"Do you ever regret it? Taking on so much?" He asked.

I stared out at the front yard, lost in my own head. The street lights were casting a soft glow on the grass, making it look more like a midnight blue than green. I could see the perfectly trimmed blades from where one of the neighborhood boys had mowed the lawn yesterday. A patch of puffy white crowns caught my eye, and I thought for a moment, trying to piece together my words just right so that I didn't fumble and sound like a total flake for the analogy I was about to make.

"Have you ever had a perfectly manicured lawn you've spent hours on? The grass is mowed, the weeds are pulled and the shrubs are trimmed. You had a plan that was perfectly executed and the result was a beautiful yard." He nodded slightly and I could see that he couldn't tell where I was going with this crazy analogy I had conjured up.

"So you're standing there admiring your handiwork when, all of a sudden, you look out in the middle of the yard and a dandelion has popped up. It has shattered your plan and completely ruined your yard. So you run over and yank it up. But when it's eye level and you can see through the wispy seeds, you realize how much it reminds you of childhood and carefree times. Without a word, it grounds you back down to earth. You forget about the plan as you sit in the grass, lightly blowing the seeds and watching them float away to unknown places." His face softened and he nodded in understanding.

"Brandon is my dandelion. He was unexpected and, to be honest, I was upset initially when I had to quit school and give up my plan. But raising him has brought me such joy and more fulfillment than any 'plan' could've given me. I watched him learn to walk and talk. I taught him songs and felt my heart swell with pride when he learned to sing them back to me. I tuck him into bed every night and read him stories, some that he has memorized and can mouth along with me while I read them out loud. And I'm the first one he ever said "I love you" to. Those three words mean more to me than any degree I could ever receive."

I wiped the stray tear that had escaped from the corner of my eye and turned to face him.

"So, no. I've never regretted it. I've made a new plan now, one that's centered on my dandelion."

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><p><strong>Reviews give me that happy feeling you get from blowing dandelions.<strong>

**Once again, I was fail at replying to reviews. But honestly, I'm getting behind on writing, so I figured you guys would rather have chapters on time than a teaser. I always submit teasers to the Fictionators on Mondays and there is usually one up on the sneak peek thread on ADF.**

**The outtake for Fandoms for Storms is completed. It's Alice's POV. If you are interested in reading it, visit the Fandom for Storms page. Link is on my profile.**


	8. Spring

**Your sweet words make me smile. Much love and thanks to all of you guys and to the usual suspects, EmDempster and EllisBell725. I don't know what I'd do without them.**

**The second part of this chapter is so fluffy that you might die (see Despicable Me for reference if you don't understand that). If that's not your thing, consider yourself warned. **

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><p>Long after Edward had left Monday night, in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Brandon had woken up complaining of a stomach ache. I led him to the bathroom and, as soon as we crossed the threshold, the contents of his stomach emptied onto the tiled floor and I immediately knew it was going to be a long night.<p>

I spent the next twenty-four hours cleaning up after a sick little boy and sanitizing everything in the house. By Thursday he seemed a little better, and by Friday he was almost his normal, rambunctious self. He was especially clingy to me throughout the week, the way all kids tend to cling when they've been sick, so I had a feeling that Saturday was going to be a difficult day when Jasper met us for his weekend visit.

I was correct.

We pulled into the coffee shop parking lot, our new meeting place since the last drop-off turned into a temper tantrum when I told Brandon that we weren't there to get a Happy Meal, only to meet his daddy. His mood turned sour for the rest of the evening and he got sent to his time-out chair more than once for his behavior that night. When Jasper called later that week, we agreed that we needed a less enticing meeting place and decided on the coffee shop around the corner from my office.

He honked and waved as he pulled up alongside in a sleek new black car. Times must be good at his dad's warehouse.

Whitlock Refrigerated housed frozen foods for local fast food businesses. I didn't really know much about the Whitlock family, but I was aware that he and his dad, Frank, had not gotten along too well in the past, most likely due to Jasper's wild ways. No one in town would hire Jasper after he got out of jail but he had been employed by his father for the past few years. I was surprised to find out that he worked there at all, but I'm sure his mother had a lot of influence. Maybe he and his dad had worked things out lately and his dad had given him some kind of promotion?

The back door of my car opened and Jasper poked his head in to greet Brandon enthusiastically.

"Hi, buddy!" Brandon turned his head and started sulking. I climbed out of the car and made my way over to his door.

"He's still a little clingy," I stated as I leaned over in the car. We had talked earlier in the week and Jasper knew Brandon had been sick.

"Hey, sweetie." I reached up and pushed Brandon's hair off of his forehead. His head turned toward me and he gave me a look that nearly broke my heart in two. His next words were the scissors that actually did it.

"I wanna stay wif you, La-La." It killed me to have to push him to go. But this was Jasper's day and I didn't want to take the risk of him getting pissed off and calling his lawyer because I wouldn't let him have his son. We had spent enough time in court as it was.

"I know you do. And I love you very much, so I always want you with me. But your Daddy loves you too, and he wants to spend some time with you, okay? So you're going to go and do fun things with him! I'll meet you back here tomorrow like I always do, okay?" I could see the tears forming in his eyes as he nodded. He climbed out of the car and held my hand as I walked him over and helped him in his other car seat. Jasper retrieved his bag as I said my good-bye.

"Remember," I said as I tightened his harness, "I'll be here tomorrow afternoon. You'll be fine, buddy. I promise. I love you."

"I love you, too, La-La," he said with a quivering chin and a tear broke free from the puddles in his eyes and rolled down his cheek. I shut his door quickly before my resolve could completely break and I yanked him out of the seat and took him home with me.

I walked off with a wave, retreating to my car just in time before the dam of tears broke. I sobbed hysterically as I watched Jasper's car pull out of the lot.

As I made my way across town, I almost regretted agreeing to have lunch with Rosalie today. I'd rather have been at home wallowing in self-pity and waiting by the phone for Jasper to call. But he had my cell number, so he could reach me if Brandon needed me…or if he decided Brandon really needed to be with _me_.

Rosalie was already at the table when I arrived at the restaurant. She saw me walk through the door and waved me over with a hand as she finished up a conversation with a gentleman standing by our table. As I got closer, I realized it was Mr. Stanley, Port Angeles' very own version of Max Goldman. He was not very nice and always seemed to get in an Alice dig anytime he spoke to me.

"Hi, Mr. Stanley," I greeted as I sat down across from Rosalie.

"Bella. How are you?" His weathered face broke into a small smile as he watched me slide into the booth opposite Rosalie.

"Just fine, Mr. Stanley. How about you?" I asked sweetly. It never hurt to try to get in on his good side. Tame the senility a little.

"Just fine. Arthritis kicking in pretty good lately but, other than that, I'm getting around. How's that boy?"

"He's fine. He's getting over a little bit of a stomach bug, but he's growing like a weed and keeping me busy," I replied with a smile.

The man seemed to be in an extraordinarily good mood today. Maybe I would escape any jabs today.

"Good, good. Glad he has _someone_ to keep him straight and raise him right. Speaking of riff-raff, where's your sister lately? Haven't seen her around."

Jinxed myself again.

"Alice isn't in town, Mr. Stanley. But I'll be sure to tell her that you said 'Hello' if I speak to her," I said sweetly. I saw Rose cover her mouth and try to stifle a laugh.

"_Harrumph_. I don't think that will be necessary. You ladies enjoy your lunch." He stalked off as quickly as his body would let him. Not able to control myself, I shot him the evil eye as he walked away. I was already in a bad mood after the morning fiasco and he didn't do anything to help matters.

"Good old Mr. Stanley. I can always count on him to get a rise out of you," Rosalie laughed.

"All he's good for is spreading gossip and bad-mouthing people. He's worse than any little old lady we have in town." I scowled as I watched him walk out the front door of the diner.

"Oooh, who tore your ads out of the newspaper this morning?" She teased, picking the opportunity to take a dig at the real estate column I wrote once a week for the Port Angeles Herald. She had teased me about the column since I started writing it.

"Har, har. It's just been a bad morning," I replied vaguely.

"What happened?" Her ribbing turned to concern when she realized that I wasn't taking the bait.

"Brandon cried when Jasper picked him up. He didn't want to go."

"He's never cried before?" Rosalie looked slightly astonished at this revelation.

"No, he's always gone willingly. I'm sure it was probably just because he still doesn't feel well. But it made me feel awful to force him to go. You should've seen his pitiful little face when I told him 'Bye'. He looked like I was abandoning him, Rose."

"Oh, Bella, don't be so dramatic. He knows you aren't abandoning him. He'll be fine and if he's not, I have no doubt that Jasper will call you right away. I'm sure he fears what would happen to him if he didn't." She flipped open her menu and focused on the fine print that I knew she already had memorized, effectively ending that topic of conversation and my self-induced misery. I unfolded my own menu and scanned the words that I, too, had seen a thousand times.

"So, she's out of town, huh?" Rosalie casually inquired.

I looked up to see her cerulean eyes meeting mine across the table. Behind the inquisitive, disapproving mask was a hint of worry and nostalgia. Rose and Alice had been best friends up until their senior year of high school. After Mom died and Alice's rebellious streak started overtaking her life, the two of them drifted apart and eventually just stopped speaking altogether. Rosalie ended up leaving town for college and law school. Alice quit school completely, declaring that she refused to repeat her Senior year after her grades plummeted from her choosing to party instead of study.

Rosalie graduated and came back to practice law in her father's small firm. When Brandon was taken into custody by Washington's Department of Social and Health Services three years ago, I contacted her first thing the following morning. I remembered what a strong, passionate person she was from the times she would spend at my house when I was younger, and her reputation around town as an attorney implied that she worked hard and fought for her clients even harder.

When she initially met with me she wasn't too happy about being on the opposite side of the courtroom from her former best friend, but in the end her sympathy toward my situation and Brandon's needs won out. The look of betrayal on Alice's face the first time she realized who was representing me actually hurt my heart a little and made me feel like I was stealing my sister's best friend.

Since becoming Brandon's guardian, Rosalie and I had formed a lifelong bond. She was now _my_ best friend and had been my saving grace time and time again when I needed someone to just listen to me while I vented, which, most of the time, was about Alice. She wanted to see Brandon and me happy and I had no doubt that she was doing everything in her power to accomplish that.

"Yeah, she's in Phoenix. She called a few nights ago."

"Phoenix?" she exclaimed. "How did she get down there?"

"She said she hitched a ride. Half of me is horrified that she would do that and the other half of me is disgusted by it. Mostly because I can only imagine what she did as payment since she's broke."

Rosalie's nose curled into a sneer. "How long has it been since she's been in for color-coding?"

"I have no idea. Chances are she's not calling every day. It's not like she could be back here if her color came up today anyway. What will they do now?" Rosalie shrugged.

"I'm not really sure, but most likely they'll issue a warrant for her for violation of probation. I can't believe she just skipped town."

"Doesn't surprise me."

The waitress arrived to take our orders, interrupting the conversation. After she scurried off to make our drinks, Rosalie sat back in the booth before speaking again.

"What day did she call?"

"Monday night. Edward was there and it was beyond embarrassing. I had to tell him everything."

"Edward was there? Why?" She leaned forward with a grin on her face, waiting for gossip.

"I invited him to dinner. His mom was out of town and I ran into him in the grocery store and blurted out an invitation before I left."

"I thought you weren't wild about him spending time with Brandon yet?" Rosalie raised a sculpted eyebrow.

"I wasn't, but he looked all adorable and pitiful. I questioned myself for a while before I actually asked him. You should have seen him though, Rose. He was so wonderful with Brandon," I recalled as a smile crept onto my face. He really was perfect.

"And you told him everything?" Rose asked, surprised.

"Everything."

The waitress came back with our order and sat everything out before disappearing again.

"How did he react?" Rose inquired as she squirted ketchup on her plate. She was almost as bad as Brandon about loving ketchup.

"Amazingly well. He was understanding and supportive and vowed that he wouldn't run away because of all this. He's almost too good to be true, Rose."

"Never say that, Bella. You need a good man. Emmett raves about him. They've spent some time getting to know one another and he's been to the house once or twice. Lily loves him, too. She talks to him and he plays with her. Don't try to find bad things that aren't there, Bella."

"I'm not," I replied defensively.

"Not yet," Rose shot back with a pointed look. I sighed, resigned.

"You're right. I know. I just don't want to get hurt. I don't even know what we are, anyway."

"No one ever wants to get hurt, Bella. But if you live your life being afraid, you're not really living. And where's the law that says you have to define the relationship? Just let it take its natural course." She joined her hands and leaned up on the table with her elbows. "Give him the benefit of the doubt, Bella. I think he's a genuinely good guy."

"You're right," I relented. I should probably pay her by the hour. Oh wait-I already did.

"I know I am," she replied as she leaned back with a smile. "Now, you want to split a piece of cheesecake?"

**~ D ~**

"Where'd you go in that head of yours?"

Edward and I were snuggled on the couch at my house watching a movie he'd brought over along with Chinese takeout. I'd let my mind wander after he had pressed 'play'. If asked, I wouldn't even be able to tell someone the plot of the story.

"Sorry," I replied sheepishly. "Just thinking."

"About?" The concern was evident on his face. Earlier, he had convinced me to finally call Jasper to check on Brandon. As suspected, he was perfectly fine and was busy playing with his cars.

"Nothing… everything." Edward's eyebrows lifted, a sign that he was waiting on me to elaborate.

"I was just thinking about this morning. And about Brandon. And about you and me."

"Okay… first thing's first. What about Brandon? You called and checked on him. Didn't Jasper say everything was fine?"

"Yes. It was just so hard this morning."

A look of sympathy crossed his face, as he hugged me to him a little tighter. "I know it was. I'm sorry."

"Thank you for always being so supportive and listening to my whining," I chuckled. Poor guy probably had no idea that my whining was part of the package.

"You're welcome. That's what I'm here for which brings us back to number two on that list. What, exactly, were you thinking about us?"

"I don't know. I just-" I paused, watching him watch me.

I didn't want him to feel obligated to define whatever it was we were, and I remembered Rosalie's advice from earlier, but I needed answers. I needed a definition of where we were going here. I mean, he hadn't even _kissed_ me.

"You haven't kissed me," I blurted out.

My face immediately heated as the words tumbled from my mouth and I wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere. Edward's mouth curled into an amused grin.

"What?" He asked with a laugh.

"Well, I mean, you haven't tried to kiss me yet. I just find it odd. And now I sound desperate." God, how embarrassing. I brought up my knees and buried my face in them. Maybe I could disappear.

"Bella?"

I kept my face hidden. Maybe he'd just go away or I'd wake up and realize that this was a dream and I had NOT said something so silly.

"_Bellllla_?"

No chance. He was still here.

I slowly turned my head so one eye was peeking out at him through the thick strands of hair covering my face. He reached over and tucked them behind my ear so that he could fully see my one eye.

"Would you please sit up so I can see your pretty face," he pleaded. I huffed and obliged. I was working out an apology for my ridiculousness when the couch shifted and suddenly his lips were on mine.

The initial shock stalled a reaction from me, but the feel of his mouth opening on mine coaxed me back to reality. The feel of his tongue on mine sent my hormones into overdrive, making my body move on its own. My hands fisted his shirt and I pressed against him as much as I physically could, practically climbing into his lap. The feel of his fingertips pressing into the curves of my hips just spurred me on even further. Before I knew it, I was straddling him, deepening the kiss and realizing that he was just as turned on as I was. His hands were lazily running up and down my body, stopping at times to cup the back of my head or splay across the expanse of my back.

We were perfectly content making out like teenagers on my couch. He didn't make any moves to try to take it any further and neither did I. We simply enjoyed the kissing.

My rapid heartbeat started to slow down a bit as did our kissing. When he pulled away, it was only slightly. His hands still held my face between them and I could feel his lips smiling against mine. It was heavenly. He spoke first, his voice a deep baritone that sent vibrations down my body.

"I've been wanting to do that since the first time we spoke in the grocery store."

I pulled back, mollified at his confession.

"Why ever did you wait so long, then?" I asked playfully.

He shrugged. "I just didn't want you to think I was only after that 'one thing'. Hopefully, I've proven that to you by now."

"Yes, you have. But I really wish we had done _that_ earlier. You've been holding out on me," I pouted. He laughed and kissed my lips once more.

"I promise to never withhold kisses from you again. I just didn't want to push you. But now that we've cleared that up, we'll make up for lost time." He winked and gave me a cheeky grin.

Laughing at his reasoning, I tried to gracefully remove myself from his lap. I knew that if we wanted to keep this strictly 'first base' for now, me perched in riding position was not going to help matters.

I saw him reach over and grab the red and purple crayons from a box in the basket of toys next to the couch, along with a notepad. He tore out a page and tossed the pad onto the table.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"It's a secret," he whispered and turned his back to me while he wrote on the little square of paper. I made a big show of huffing and sighing while I waited on him to finish his little project. When he turned back to me, he thrust the paper into my hand, along with the purple crayon. I took both from him and open the folded sheet of paper, laughing as I read the words.

**Do you want to be my girlfriend?**

□ **YES**

□ **NO**

I turned my back to Edward, making a show of hiding the paper as I checked the 'yes' box. I added a note at the bottom. **'But only if I get your fruit roll-up at lunch.'**

I turned back and gave him the note. He was smiling when he opened it and let out a hearty laugh when he read the note at the bottom. He tossed it on the table and pulled me back into his lap. He kissed me again, letting the butterflies loose in my belly once more.

When he pulled away, he still had a grin on his face. His next words made my heart soar.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" He asked quietly as his eyes met mine.

"I think you and I both must have done something right, because right now I'm asking myself the exact same thing," I replied.

His answering smile mimicked mine, and we spent the rest of the evening making up for lost time.

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><p><strong>Reviews are not better than making out on the couch with Edward, but I still love to read them. Also, if you need the reminder, Max Goldman is half of the "Grumpy Old Men" duo.<strong>


	9. Blossom

**You guys are awfully anxious for Alice to make an appearance. It's like you want to see some drama or something…. ;) Soon. Patience, my pretties.**

**Thank you for all of your kind words. They make me smile like a loon.**

**Disclaimer still applies. EmDempster and EllisBell725 are still putting up with me and I adore them both for it.**

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><p>Perfect.<p>

That is the only way to describe the beginning of mine and Edward's relationship, or official "boyfriend/girlfriend" status, if you will.

He was attentive but didn't hover. He was sweet but not cavity-inducing. And best of all, Brandon adored him.

When Jasper met me Sunday afternoon for pick-up, Brandon bounced out of the car as usual. He was back to his normal, rambunctious self and was talking my ear off as soon as we left the parking lot.

After our designated status change the night before, Edward and I had agreed that Brandon needed to be around Edward more so they could get to know each other. Edward suggested there was no better time than the present and invited Brandon and I to meet him at a local playground Sunday afternoon, citing his theory that 'get to know you' time might start off a little better if they were on Brandon's turf.

Brandon was practically vibrating in his car seat when I pulled into the playground parking lot. By the time we hit the fenced enclosure, his legs were sprinting over the wood-chipped ground as fast as they would go. I heard a laugh from behind me and turned to see Edward walking up to us.

"Excited, is he?"

"You have no idea. It's a good thing there's a child lock on my car door, otherwise he would've jumped out as soon as I turned onto the street." We stood side by side just watching him for a few minutes watching him as he ran up the toddler-sized steps and slid down the twisty slide.

"Come on," I said as I grabbed his Edward's hand and led him over to the play set. Brandon came down the slide just was we reached the bottom.

"Catch me, La-La!" I grabbed around his midsection and squeezed my fingers a little when he reached the end, sending us both into a fit of giggles. As he caught his breath, he took notice of Edward standing off to the side, grinning.

"Hi, Ehwurd!" He waved his little hand with enthusiasm and jumped off my lap to run over to him.

"Come push me on 'da swings!" Brandon grabbed Edward's hand and together they headed to the swings.

And just like that, they were best buddies.

For the remainder of the week, Edward came over to the house for dinner. Every night while I cooked, he would get down on the floor with Brandon and play with matchbox cars, or they would pile up on the couch together and watch the same movies over and over again.

We talked to Brandon together one night and explained to him that Edward would be spending a lot of time with us.

"Is he your boyfriend?" He asked.

I laughed and replied, "Yes, he is. Where did you hear that word?"

He crinkled up his little nose in disgust, not taking his eyes off the non-edible Happy Meal he was creating with his Play-Doh set.

"Lily said I was her boyfriend. She said I had to kiss her. I not gonna kiss her, LaLa."

"That's right," I said seriously while I tried to suppress a grin. "You tell her that _all_your kisses belong to your LaLa!" I punctuated my statement with a loud, smacking kiss on his cheek. He giggled and returned to his imaginary meal.

And that was that.

**~ D ~**

My connection with Edward was a little strange to me at first. It's not like we had any kind of trial period. We fell head first into a serious relationship. I worried for a short time that Edward was the opposite of Riley. Instead of running away from a ready-made family, I began to wonder if he was with me _because_ of it.

The thought crossed my mind again as I sat in my comfy chair on a normal Thursday night, wine glass in hand and lasagna in the oven, watching Edward play along with Brandon's version of Candyland.

Brandon jumped up suddenly, abandoned the game and disappeared into his room. Edward strained to make sure Brandon was safely around the corner before he stood quickly and walked over to me. He took my wine glass and set it on the side table before tugging me out of the chair and pressing his lips against mine. It caught me by surprise at first, but I grinned against his lips and melted into him.

I could almost hear Rosalie in my head, screaming at me for being such a jerk and doubting this wonderful man in front of me. Fate sent him my way and there I was doubting him and his good intentions. I felt like an ungrateful jerk.

He pulled away with a devilish smirk before pecking me on the tip of my nose.

"Sorry for catching you off guard, but I've been waiting all night to do that. I wasn't sure how much affection you were comfortable showing each other in front of Brandon."

At that moment, I vowed to stop doubting him. I was wasting time pouring extra effort into questioning his motives when I could be using that energy toward building our relationship. I heard Brandon still rustling around in his toy box in his room, so I pulled Edward back down to me.

"Hmmm, we better keep this one to ourselves," I mumbled before crashing my lips into his. He hummed appreciatively and wrapped his arms around my back.

I should've been ashamed for practically humping his leg in the middle of the living room with my three year old right down the hall…but I wasn't. I kept my ears open for the sound of little feet because Brandon couldn't exactly sneak up on you. He ran everywhere he went.

Edward was the first to break away. He rested his forehead against mine and kept me encased against him while be both tried to catch our breath. Soon enough, I heard little feet coming down the hall and quickly backed away.

"Maybe you should stick around after bedtime," I taunted with a wink as I returned to my seat.

"You're going to kill me," he laughed as he resumed his place at Brandon's side for a second round of Candyland.

**~ D ~**

Shelly Cope's office was that of a typical social worker. Endless files stacked up in piles all over her desk and bookcase, computer screen completely outlined with post-it notes of reminders and phone numbers, and a phone that constantly rang unless she turned the ringer off and sent the callers straight to voicemail.

But however disorganized she may be, she was damn good at her job. She was strong, caring and passionate about her work. If she had anything to do about it, the kids from her cases would be well taken care of and would not be victimized any more than they already had been.

She was older than most of the social workers in the office, probably pushing sixty, although I never asked. Her husband had passed away a few years before, so when we were not talking about Brandon or his case we talked a lot about her kids and grandkids and their achievements. Sometimes she would even regale me the tales of her escapades with her fellow widowed friends. I admired and adored Shelly Cope.

"So, everything is going well?" She was making notes of our conversation in Brandon's file about what had transpired over the last month.

"Yeah, it's going okay. Brandon seems to enjoy his time with Jasper. There hasn't been a problem so far."

She stopped sifting through the papers in the file and glanced at me over her bright red, half-moon glasses. "I sense some hesitance in your voice. Are you expecting there to be a problem?"

"Not necessarily," I hedged.

She arched her eyebrow, challenging me.

"Alright, alright. Maybe I am. It just all seems to be going too well, know what I mean? I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"Has anything happened to make you suspect something may go wrong?" She looked back down and continued to shuffle through the papers in the file folder.

"No."

"Has Brandon mentioned anything bad that has happened while he was in Jasper's care?"

"No." She sighed, removed her glasses and started chewing on the end of one of the arms.

"Bella, Jasper's random drug tests have come back clean for the past year and a half. He's been faithfully paying his back child support and attending his AA meetings. Maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt?" I found it funny how she was basically telling me the same thing I had told my father a month ago when he had his own doubts.

I inhaled deeply and let the breath out slowly. "You're right, Shelly. I need to chill out and trust him. It's just hard to do."

"I know it is, sweetheart. But you're too young and pretty to be worrying as much as you do. Let me worry about making sure that boy does what he should, okay? It's my job." I nodded and picked at my nails.

"No word from Alice?" I groaned, not wanting to rehash that telephone call.

"Yeah, she called. She's in Arizona. Don't ask me why. I'm pretty sure she was drunk or high or both. Spewed some words at me and hung up."

"Hmm." She flipped through the file a couple of pages back. "It looks like she hasn't been called in for testing yet, but I'm sure it'll be soon. Did she happen to say when she'd be back?"

"No. Brandon's birthday is in a few weeks, though, so I'm sure she'll be back by then." One thing Alice has always done was be there for Brandon's birthday party. "I just hope she's sober and coherent. He's having a party with his friends this year and I'd have to kick her out if she makes a scene."

"You do what you have to do to protect that child," she said seriously. I nodded and she sat back in her chair.

"Now that official business is over, let's move on to other topics," she continued. "It seems that Gail Banner heard from Evelyn Greene that a certain someone sitting in this room was seen out and about with the new kid in town, Dr. Cullen's son. We had lunch with Esme Cullen one day, but she refused to say anything, the old biddy," she spouted playfully.

She arched that eyebrow again, but mostly in an a 'you better tell me what the hell's going on right now or the girls and I will make up our own stories" kind of way.

"You and your friends shouldn't gossip so much, Shelly."

"BAH!" She laughed loudly. "What the hell else do we have to do? It's nice to have something to talk about in this boring town. Now spill it."

And so I did. I told her as much as I could about him. How handsome he was, how he called me every night, how we met for lunch almost every day last week for lunch. Most importantly, I told her about how well he interacted with Brandon.

But some things I couldn't confess to anyone, let alone Shelly. Like how his deep laughter trickling through the phone line every night sent shivers down my spine or how the simplest of texts, like "Missed you today at lunch" or "Tell Brandon I'm in serious need of superhero training," would relieve any stress I was feeling at the moment. Those were things that were sacred and belonged to me.

"Well, I'm happy for you, Bella. You deserve a good man, and if he came from Carlisle and Esme, I have no doubt that he is worthy."

Her words warmed my heart and made me smile. "Thanks, Shelly. The best thing about it is that Brandon adores him. I just hope that if something goes awry, he doesn't get hurt."

"Who, Edward?" she asked, confused.

"No, Brandon."

"Bella," she sighed. "You worry too much. I know when Brandon came into your life, you felt you needed to halt everything in order to provide for him fully, and I understand that. But things are stable now. He's well-adjusted, happy and healthy. You having a healthy relationship with someone could only be a positive influence on him. You can't stop living your life in order to make sure he lives his. God willing, and I hope he is, Brandon will be with you until he voluntarily leaves home for college. When he's gone, what will you do then?"

I shook my head, honestly not knowing the answer. I hadn't thought that far ahead quite yet. It was my intention in the beginning to simply care for Brandon until Alice cleaned herself up and became stable. I had long given up any hope of that happening.

"Bella, I can tell you like him. Apparently _everyone_ likes him, or so I've heard. So my advice to you is simple- If he makes you happy, and he makes Brandon happy, don't let him get away. Life is about living… so _live_ it."

**~ D ~**

"Sappy, predictable romance or testosterone-filled, adrenaline boosting action movie? I prefer the latter of the two." He looked down at me with a delighted grin, reminding me so much of an excited little boy.

We were on a 'cliché' date, as he deemed it, dinner and a movie. It was Saturday night and our small theater was packed with local teenagers, some of whom knew Edward from the baseball camp he assisted with last week, but that didn't deter us from acting like teenagers ourselves. Our hands had been joined almost the entire night and he had stolen at least six kisses since we walked in the theatre door five minutes earlier. Strike that…he hadn't stolen them. I was a more than willing participant.

"I'm sure you do. And that's fine with me. I'm sure there will be some hot guys to ogle," I teased with a wink.

He grabbed his chest in mock horror. "You wound me. We're going with the romance."

"So you'd rather me watch a guy do absolutely everything in his power to seduce and swoon the object of his affection?"

He frowned down at me as I smiled innocently.

"Hell, no. If I'm screwed either way, at least I'm going to enjoy the action."

"Oh, I see what you did there!" I laughed.

"Oh, do you? Do you see what I did there?" He asked as he started poking me in the ribs with his free hand, making me swat at him and cause a ruckus in the line. People were staring at us, some with sweet smiles on their faces, some clearly annoyed. We were _that_ couple.

We calmed down and waited patiently in line until it was our turn. Edward ordered everything and handed me the popcorn while he paid. I popped a few kernels in my mouth and was staring at the 'coming attractions' posters when I heard my name called. I whirled around to see Jessica with her husband, Mike, walking toward us.

"Hi, guys! Decided to escape tonight like us?" Mike asked. He had always been a cheerful guy, a little too exuberant sometimes, but he and Jessica were head over heels in love with each other. It was almost disgusting to watch them fawn over one another, but I was starting to understand why they acted that way.

"Thank goodness. Lauren has been a real pain in the butt lately," Jessica added. "She's in an 'independent' stage and refuses any help from us. Whoever invented the phrase 'terrible twos' was spot on."

I laughed. "You haven't reached the 'treacherous threes' yet. Just wait."

"Oh, goody," Jessica deadpanned. "Where is Brandon, anyway? Hanging with PaPa Charlie?"

"No, he's with his dad this weekend," I replied. I had been trying to worry less while he was away, but the mention of his name brought those feelings back to the surface, especially after our goodbye earlier.

He had acted fine when we had we'd met Jasper for pick-up, but something was off. He wasn't quite as enthused to be going this time. Not that I had to force him to go, but he almost reluctantly climbed into Jasper's car, whereas all the other times, save for the one time he cried, he shouted with joy when his dad appeared. It worried me that things had not gone well last time. Then I started to doubt my parenting because I should've asked him about it. Instead, I let that be their time and tried not to pry. I would definitely be prying when he came home tomorrow.

"That's great," Jessica replied. She, along with most everyone else, was happy to see that Jasper was actually taking part in Brandon's life. So if this went stale, it would not only be devastating to Brandon, but there would be a whole town full of nosy, but caring, neighbors, all disappointed that it didn't work out.

And there I went again with the negativity. Why was I so convinced that it wasn't going to work? I was turning into a cynic and pessimist.

We spent a few more minutes making small talk with Mike and Jessica, but I was glad when Edward nudged me to tell me the movie was about to start. After learning that they were seeing a different movie – our romantic second choice- we said goodnight and parted ways. Luckily, the theater was not that crowded. All of the teenagers were probably seeing the recently released vampire movie that seemed to be an automatic money-maker for the studio.

Ten car crashes, three police chases and, as promised, a screen full of hot guys later, we left the theater still connected at the hands. I don't think we had loosened our grips on one another even once.

When we arrived back at the house, I invited him in, but it was an understood non-invitation for sex. We had both gotten used to him hanging around my house. He was scheduled to close on his house next week or so, and I knew the few renovations he would have to do would seriously cut into the time we currently spent together.

Even though I had not invited him in for a romp in the sack, we still ended up on my couch, me pinned underneath him while his fingers crept under the hem of my shirt, connecting with my skin and awakening those deep, slumbering feelings that hadn't seen the light of day in ages.

And I honestly had no idea how we had put ourselves in that position. One minute, we were talking about whether or not he was going to change the color of the exterior of the house and the next, the only wood I could focus on was pressing where I needed it most.

"Edward," I breathed, coming to my senses. There was no way I was quite ready for this. Well, maybe I was but just not tonight.

"Edward," I said again, a little more forcefully. He stilled from kissing my collarbone and sat up quickly.

"I'm so sorry," he said with a blush. He ran his hands roughly over his face and then through his hair. I could see his frustration with himself and was sorry that I caused it, but I wasn't backing down on this decision.

"You don't have to be sorry. _I'm_ sorry. I'm just…I'm not ready for _that_ quite yet."

"I know, Bella. Honestly, neither am I. I just lost my sense of self-control a little bit. Sorry," he repeated.

"Hey," I said. He didn't respond and looked away. The blush he wore deepened, so I could tell it was from embarrassment, not anger. I climbed onto his lap and placed a hand on each cheek, forcing him to look at me.

"Hey."

"Um, Bella. I hate to be a jerk here. But that? Is not helping," he said, gesturing toward where I was straddling his lap.

"Sorry," I replied, trying to restrain a laugh. "I just had to make you look at me. Listen, you know I want to, right? I just don't feel like it's right tonight. I don't know when it'll happen. It could be tomorrow, next week, or next month, but I know it's not tonight." I paused. "Are you mad at me?"

"What?" he exclaimed. "God, no. Absolutely not. I'm mad at myself for not backing away sooner."

"Stop that. I was a more than willing participant. This has to be a team thing, okay? You can't take the blame for stuff I'm clearly involved in. It's not fair."

"Yeah, sorry. You're right. I don't want you to ever feel pressured to do anything, though, okay? Promise to tell me if I'm going too far?"

I nodded in agreement. "And you promise to tell me?"

He laughed and nodded back. I climbed off his lap and tucked myself into his side when he opened up the space in offering.

"It'll be like when you found the house," I said quietly. "When we know, we'll just know."

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><p><strong>Reviews give Mrs. Cope and her friends something to gossip about. <strong>


	10. White

**Hi again! Because of unforeseen circumstances, I'm posting this unbeta'd. I polled on Twitter and got more votes for an unbeta'd chapter than waiting for it. However, a few lovely ladies, burntcore and knittingvamp7, have looked over it for me so I'm hoping it's not too bad. Commas are my eternal enemy so if you see one out of place, give a girl a break. ;) Once my beta gets a chance to review the chapter, I'll probably update it with the final, corrected one.**

**You guys leave me the loveliest reviews and I adore you for them. Thank you. I need to warn you that I'm going out of town for a few days and have exhausted my banked chapters, so bear with me as updates may not be as consistent as they have been so far. **

**If you were able to get the Fandom4storms compilation, I hope you enjoyed the glimpse into Alice's mind. If you didn't get it, I'll post it next month on here.**

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><p>While I was waiting in the car on Sunday around noon for Jasper and Brandon to arrive, Edward called.<p>

"Mom wants to know if you and Brandon would like to come over for dinner. She's very anxious to see you guys and won't take 'no' for an answer, so you might as well give in," he said with a laugh. What was I supposed to say to that?

I heard a female voice in the background on his end. "Stop that, Edward! She'll think I'm a bully!"

"Ow, Ma! You _are_ a bully! Stop slapping me!" I heard shuffling on the other end of the phone before Edward's voice came through again. "Will you two please agree to come before I have to report my mother for abuse?"

"You're twenty-eight, you big baby!" I heard her yell in the background. I laughed and readily agreed to dinner. Edward promised to pick us up by three before we disconnected.

As I dropped my phone back into my purse, I noticed a car pulling alongside mine. I was slightly miffed that they had parked so close to me because I had deliberately parked away from other cars. My anger turned into confusion when I noticed Jasper climbing out of the driver's seat with a female in the front passenger's seat. Curiosity got the best of me, so I climbed out of my car to greet Brandon and find out who was with him and Jasper.

"Hi, LaLa!" He called as he ran over to me as fast as his little legs would carry him.

"Hi, buddy! I missed you this weekend. Did you have a good time?"

"Uh-huh. I stayed wif Nana and we made cookies!"

"Did your Daddy eat them all up?" I asked playfully, poking him in the ribs so I could hear his giggle. He humored me with a laugh, but his next words made me stop dead in my tracks.

"No, Daddy wasn't wif us. He was wif Ma-wee-ah." He wasn't with him? Instead of confronting Jasper in front of Brandon, I watched as he said his goodbyes and secured him in his seat. While he was content with his little blue car, I turned and quietly addressed Jasper.

"You weren't with him?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Of course I was with him. I started dating someone recently and took her out last night. He was asleep by the time I got home."

"Is that her?" I asked.

"Yeah." He waved me over to the driver's side door and opened it. "Bella, this is Maria. Maria, this is Bella, Brandon's aunt."

"Hi," she said in a bored tone, not bothering to even look at me. She was clacking away on her cell phone with her fake nails that were extremely too long to be functional. Her clothes were too tight … and too short … and she was popping gum like an actress from a teenage movie. _Nice catch there, Jasper._

I greeted her in return before I leaned back up and tried not to glare at Jasper. I counted to ten, trying to control my temper before I lost it.

"Jasper, I just recently starting seeing someone myself. It's new and I understand it's difficult when you're trying to develop a relationship. But we only go out alone when Brandon is with you. Otherwise, he's included." I could see Jasper's face growing red and angry, but I wasn't backing down.

"Jasper, he needs the time with you in order to bond. He only sees you four days a month."

"And whose fault is that?" He spat angrily. That, in turn, made me angry.

"Surely you aren't accusing me of anything! I'm not keeping him from you." I couldn't believe he had the balls to stand there and act like it was my fault that he only saw his son when he did.

He closed his eyes and breathed heavily. I was turning to walk to the other side of my car and drive away before I said something I'd regret when he called out my name.

"I'm sorry," he said regretfully. "I really am. You're right. I'll try to make arrangements from now on to include him if he's with us."

I stayed quiet, afraid that I would either snap at him again or start crying.

"You have to understand that this is all still new to me," he continued. "Maria doesn't have a lot of experience with children and I thought he would be more comfortable with Mom than with us at some restaurant. But I see your point, and I'll make it up to him. I promise."

"It's fine, Jasper. I'm sure he had a great time with your mother. I just wanted to address the issue. I didn't mean to come off 'high and mighty'. I know this is still new to you, but he has to come first. Always."

"Yeah, you're right." He shuffled his feet on the pavement as an awkward silence loomed between us. "I'll, uh, call him later this week, okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. See you next time." I turned and climbed into my car while Jasper waved at Brandon.

I rushed home and ran Brandon a bath. While he was playing with his toys, I took the opportunity to question his further about his weekend. I wondered how long Maria had been in the picture and if she had anything to do with his less-than-enthusiastic attitude when Jasper had picked him up on Saturday.

"Brandon, did you have fun with your Nana? I bet those cookies were good, huh?"

"Uh-huh. She gave me milk, too. I drank it all gone so I get muscles, like 'dis." He dropped his boat and flexed both of his arms upward.

I laughed and nodded. "Wow, look at those muscles already! You're so strong!" He picked his boat back up and resumed playing. "What about Maria? Is she Daddy's girlfriend like I'm Edward's girlfriend?"

"Uh-huh," he said quietly. "She's not very nice like Ehwurd. She won't play wif me. Daddy don't play wif me when she's 'dere. I like Ehwurd. Where is he?" He asked as he looked around like he had just realized that Edward wasn't with us. Brandon's revelations made me angry, but it wasn't my responsibility to tell Jasper how to handle his parenting duties. I would sure as hell keep asking Brandon about Maria, though, and if he continued to be ignored while she was around, I would report his comments to Shelley.

"He's going to come pick us up in a little while and we're going to his mommy and daddy's house for dinner. I need you to be on your best behavior there, okay? Can you show them what a good boy you are?"

"I will, LaLa," he promised solemnly. "I say 'pwease' and 'tank you'.

"That's my sweet boy. Now come on, let's get you all clean and dressed."

**~ D ~**

"Why are you fidgeting so much?" Edward asked, as he looked over at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not fidgeting." That might have been a lie.

"Yes, you are, Bella. You've checked your appearance in that visor mirror three hundred times on the ride over here. I promise that no mysterious fungus has begun to grow on your face since we left your house." I scowled at him, mildly irritated. I hadn't checked my reflection that many times, had I?

"You know," I began, "you were just as bad when I introduced you to my dad." I had invited Edward to join us last Wednesday night for our weekly dinner. Charlie had heard the gossip around town and insisted on meeting him. Edward had been pacing nervously back and forth behind his car when I pulled in the lot. Once we were inside, he was the perfect picture of ease and politeness.

It was funny to watch Charlie, who was determined not to like any man that tried to weasel his way into my and Brandon's lives, slowly come around to Edward. He initially grilled him, shooting questions at him like he was a detainee being interrogated. Every time, Edward fired back an answer that won Charlie over a little bit more. That, paired with watching Brandon's obvious adoration of Edward, led to Charlie's approval. By the time we walked out of the diner, Charlie was clapping him on the back and they were talking about fishing lures. It was sickening, really.

"This is different, Edward. You have a mother I have to impress."

"Bella, you already know my mother." He rolled his eyes.

"Yes, but she hasn't met me as your girlfriend," I replied.

"And that makes a difference?"

"Of course it makes a difference, Edward!" Did the man honestly not know?

"Why?" _Why? _Good question, Edward.

"Because … it just does. Don't ask me why." He laughed at my nonsense, reached over and locked our fingers together. His touch was just what I needed to reassure me.

"LaLa, are we almost there?" Brandon asked from the back seat.

"Almost, buddy. Remember to be on your best behavior, please."

"Okay, LaLa. I pwomise to mine my manners," he said seriously.

"You mind your manners and be a good boy and maybe we can go get ice cream on our way home." I wasn't above bribery.

"Really?" He asked excitedly. "Ehwurd, will you take us to get ice cream?"

"I sure will, little man, as long as LaLa says it's okay."

"Ehwurd, is your mommy at your house?" Edward laughed and looked out the window as he answered.

"Well, she's at her house, buddy. It isn't my house. Hopefully, I'll be in my house soon."

"My mommy doesn't live at my house. I dunno where she lives." My heart stuttered. I didn't speak because at the moment, I couldn't. What do you say to something like that? Thankfully, Edward was on his toes, because he chimed in and steered the conversation away.

"Well, you know what though? You are so special that you have a LaLa that gets to live with you. Not everyone has that." He paused momentarily and then did his best to distract Brandon from the conversation at hand. "You'll have to come visit me when I get moved into my new house. We can go play in the woods and get dirty," Edward teased as he glanced at Brandon in the review mirror.

"Can LaLa get dirty, too?"

"If she wants to, she can." Edward glanced at me with a wink. I think I caught some innuendo in that wink.

"Nah, she won't want to. She's a girl. Girls don't like dirt."

I laughed and interrupted their conversation. "You're right. Girls don't like much dirt, so I'll watch from the side and I'll be ready to hose you off." I reached back and ticked Brandon's leg, loving the sound of his laughter. His pain was my pain and I couldn't stand knowing that he was thinking about why his mommy wasn't around.

Brandon resumed quietly humming to himself and playing with his stuffed bear in the back seat. While he was distracted, I took the opportunity to squeeze Edward's hand.

"Thank you," I whispered quietly.

He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it as he glanced at me. "Anytime."

We pulled into his parents' driveway moments later. They met us outside with warm smiles and lots of hugs. Brandon didn't quite know what to think of them, especially when he saw Dr. Cullen.

"Are you gonna give me a shot?" He asked warily. Unfortunately, he must have remembered the time last fall when I took him to the emergency room and Dr. Cullen had been the attending doctor. Brandon had a nasty case of bronchitis that the antibiotics his normal pediatrician had given couldn't touch. After hearing him almost choke every time he coughed one night, I fled with him to the hospital in hopes that they could do something. And they sure did, in the form of a shot. I had to hold Brandon down, which was not fun at all, and we both left the hospital in tears that night. On the up side, he was significantly better the next day.

Dr. Cullen laughed and bent down to his level. Brandon tucked himself behind my leg like he normally did when he was scared.

"No, I promise you won't get a shot today. Today, I'm not Dr. Cullen. Today I'm just Edward's dad, so how about you call me Carlisle, okay?"

"Okay," Brandon said quietly.

"You know what I have in my backyard?" Carlisle asked. I peeked back and saw Brandon shake his head. "A swing. Would you like to go swing?" Brandon's eyes grew wide and he nodded. "Ok, ask your Aunt Bella."

"La-La, Can I go wif him?"

"Sure you can," I replied with a smile. He crept out from behind me and walked up to place his hand in Dr. Cullen's outstretched one. They hurried off, leaving the rest of us to catch up with them.

"Bella," Esme gushed happily. "I'm so glad you could come. Edward has talked about you nonstop for weeks now."

"_Mooooom_," Edward chastised playfully. His cheeks tinged with a faint blush as I laughed at him.

"Well, if my mom was around, I would've been gushing to her for the past few weeks, too," I replied as I gave Edward a wink. He ducked his head and smiled shyly. God, how I was falling for this man. Quick.

"Well, come on. Let's go see what kind of trouble those two are getting in. I'm afraid Carlisle might be a bad influence."

I laughed at her teasing concern. "I doubt Dr. Cullen could get him in any more trouble than he gets himself in. He's a mischievous little boy."

"Pfft, Bella. You obviously don't realize how much trouble grown men can get themselves into. And please, call him 'Carlisle' and me 'Esme'. None of that 'Dr. and Mrs.' stuff. Makes me feel pretentious."

"Ok," I laughed. "No problem."

We rounded the corner of their large house and saw Carlisle pushing Brandon on the wooden swing hanging from a large tree. Brandon's squeals rang through the air, his delight contagious and intoxicating. The content feeling I got whenever I knew, without a doubt, he was happy washed over me. Between that feeling and the one I got from Edward silently linking our pinkies together, I felt as though I could take on the world. I was happy with just Brandon and me, but the addition of Edward as a constant in my life lately made it feel…whole.

**~ D ~**

When we sat down at Carlisle and Esme's dinner table, my gaze immediately landed on the pot roast that was sitting in the middle. I wasn't looking forward to fighting with Brandon because I knew he wouldn't eat that. However, I dished him out a toddler-sized portion, along with a few potatoes and carrots, before I served myself. When I sat the plate in front of him, I saw his face scrunch up and knew what was coming.

"What is dat?" I opened my mouth to answer but was cut off by Edward's voice.

"It's pot roast. It's good. My mom used to make it special for me. She said it would make me grow up strong and healthy in case the super heroes ever needed my help."

Brandon's eyes grew wide and he tentatively picked up his fork. He glanced back up at Edward sitting on the other side of him once more, before taking a small bite. I watched him chew and swallow before getting a larger bite. He even ate a carrot. I was amazed and wondered if Edward had put some kind of voodoo spell on my little boy.

After dinner and, to Brandon's delight, chocolate cake, we settled out on the patio to talk while Brandon played with a ball that had been dug up out of the garage. We talked and watched him kick the ball back and forth across the yard for a while before Edward decided to join him. Carlisle joined them not too long after, leaving Esme and me alone.

"Edward adores Brandon," she stated quietly.

"The feeling's mutual, I think." I watched as Brandon plowed into Edward, trying to get the ball away. Edward laughed, scooped him up under his arm and ran toward a tree as Brandon squealed in delight. Carlisle stood in the middle of the yard watching the scene play out.

"They seem to be good for one another. I haven't seen Edward this happy in a long time. I mean, he was always happy, but now he seems so alive and full of life. That's what a mother wants to see. I'm sure you can relate," she said pointedly.

"Yeah, I understand completely."

"I admire you a lot, Bella. There's no telling what kind of life that little boy would've had had you not stepped up to the plate for him." Esme looked at me with a small smile and kind eyes.

"I did what I had to do," I shrugged.

"I know," she said. "But I hated having to struggle being alone with Edward when I was that young. Before Carlisle came along, I was barely scraping by. You did it voluntarily and you are doing _so_ well."

"Wait-what?" I was so confused. "Before Carlisle came along?"

"Oh dear. Edward didn't tell you about his biological father?" She looked shamed, like she let the cat out of the bag. I guess she did.

"Carlisle isn't?"

"No," she sighed. "But he's the only father Edward has ever known and has been a damn good one." She turned her head from me and I saw her gaze land upon her husband who was standing back watching Edward push Brandon on the swing.

"I would never have guessed. I mean, they look enough alike." They had pretty much the same build, although Edward was a good bit taller, and they were both extraordinarily handsome. The more I stared at Esme, the more I realized that Edward looked quite a lot like her, just in male form. Same hair color, same eye color. Even their lips were the same shape.

"It's just a coincidence, I guess. No one has ever questioned it and I guess Edward doesn't think to bring it up. I'm sorry that I did. I guess he probably doesn't consciously think about it like I do. He was about Brandon's age when I met Carlisle, so he really doesn't remember Carlisle ever not being in the picture. Edward's biological father hasn't seen him since he was two. He relinquished all of his rights and Carlisle legally adopted Edward after we were married."

"Wow, I had no idea." I hated that I hadn't found this out from Edward, but I understood why he probably didn't think to tell me himself. Carlisle was his father, period.

"The reason I'm telling you this, Bella, is because Edward knows that Carlisle didn't have to step up and be the father that he was to Edward…but he did. He was the man that taught him to play catch and football, and the one to teach him about girls and lead him into manhood. He admires Carlisle and has made every effort to be the kind of man that would make him proud to call Edward his son.

"I think Edward has fallen for you and Brandon the way Carlisle fell for us. I don't know where your relationship with him will go, but I can assure you that if it develops into much more in the future, Edward would be the father figure Brandon needs in his life."

**~ D ~**

When we prepared to leave that evening, Brandon gave both Esme and Carlisle warm, familiar hugs like he had known them for his entire little life. Esme offered to babysit the next time Edward and I went out, and Brandon practically begged me to let him come.

"Please, LaLa. I need to come back and see Nez-may. She said we could make cookies." There was that pleading look again that he had perfected lately. A weapon of mass destruction, I tell you.

"Maybe you can do that soon then," I said as he bounced around. Turning toward Esme and Carlisle, I hugged her lightly and thanked them both for dinner. "We had a wonderful time."

"I'm so glad. Please come back and visit us soon. I'd love to get to know you better. You don't even have to bring this shaggy guy with you," she gestured toward Edward. She had been teasing him all night about the length of his hair. According to her, he normally kept it much shorter but he defended himself saying that he hadn't had time to make it to the barber shop yet. Personally, I thought it was beautifully messy, but I knew better than to dispute my boyfriend's mother this early in a relationship.

"I'll do it. If you're ever in town around lunchtime, give me a call." Her face lit up brilliantly, and my heart warmed knowing that such a small suggestion gave her so much joy.

"I'd love that, thank you."

"Sure." I dug in my purse for a business card and handed it to her. "My cell number is on the front in case I'm not in the office. I'll see you soon?" I asked.

"Absolutely," she replied as Edward leaned over and kissed his mom on the cheek. "You better hold on this one, son. She's a keeper. And she comes with a bonus." She giggled as she watched Brandon sing to himself as he walked circles around me and Edward.

His answering smile made me blush. "She sure is. Don't worry mom," he said as he glanced at her. "I'm not letting her go anywhere. I'm afraid they're stuck with me now."

**~ D ~**

"He's going to be awfully disappointed tomorrow when he realizes that he didn't get his ice cream," I said after I turned to check on an awfully quiet little boy. He was conked out in his car seat with his little mouth wide open.

"Eh, we could always take him tomorrow night if it's okay with you," Edward shrugged. I looked out the window and saw the faint reflection of my face smiling back at me. It was hard sometimes to comprehend how thoughtful and considerate he was.

"I'm sure he'd love that," I said quietly. Turning my head his way, I geared myself up for the confession I felt I need to tell him. "Your mom told me something this evening that I didn't know, but it's about you and I didn't want you to find out that I know when you didn't tell me."

His brow drew together in confusion, probably trying to decipher my rambling. "What?" He asked with a laugh.

"She told me that Carlisle wasn't your biological dad. I'm sorry. I think she assumed that I knew."

"Oh." He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Are you mad that I didn't tell you?"

"No, not at all. At first, I didn't understand why you didn't, especially given the circumstances surrounding Brandon, but the more she told me, the more I understood."

"I'm sorry. It's just not something that I think about. Carlisle _is_ my dad. The other man is only someone I share DNA with. When he signed me off as his son, there was another man more than willing to step up into his place and resume that role in my life. _That_ is what a true father is." He glanced in the rearview mirror at Brandon and then over at me. "It's the same with you and him. Even though he may not call you "mommy", you are the only mommy he knows."

I nodded in agreement. "I understand that. I just wanted you to know that she told me."

"It's fine. No big deal. I guess you now know about all of the skeletons in my closet," he said with a sly grin.

"If those are all the skeletons in your closet, I think I'm the one getting off easy in this relationship. Of course, I have no skeletons in my closet. They're all out in the open for the world to see."

"Bella, those aren't your skeletons. You should be proud of what you've done instead of embarrassed by your sister's actions. You can't control other people."

"I know, I know. It's just hard when everyone in town knows your family so well and they gossip so much. But I can't bring myself to be mad at Alice for her faults and weaknesses." I glanced once more at the sleeping boy in the back seat, his head bobbed to the side and arm gripped around his teddy bear's neck. "If she had never met Jasper, I would've never had that."

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><p><strong>Reviews make me smile like a mad woman and I need something to make me smile after the past few days I've had. Yeah, I'm totally playing the sympathy card there…<strong>

**If you happen to practice family law or work for an attorney that does and wouldn't mind me picking your brain, PM me. I have a few questions.**


	11. Puff

**Wow, there are of you out there that have recently joined this party. Thank you for giving my little story a chance. =) Much, much love and many thanks to SydneyAlice for her rec in one of her chapters of Forget Me Not. If you haven't read her stories, make sure you do so. Fluff at its best. **

**Also, the lovely Mrs. White from the PIC Fanfic Corner blog reviewed Dandelion and interviewed me recently. We had a fun time with that interview, so check it out if you get a chance. The link is on my profile.**

**Thanks to EllisBell725 for her mad prereader skills. EmDempster beta'd this mess ridiculously fast, so you can thank her for me keeping my normal posting schedule. She's awesome.**

**As always, you know it's not mine.**

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><p>"Are you nervous? Excited?" I watched Edward squirm in his chair while we waited on Rose to call us back.<p>

"Both actually," he replied. "This is a big move. It's the first time I'll own a home and this is a large chunk of the money I've saved over the years," he said as he waved the envelope that held his down payment check.

"It's not like I have a trust fund sitting around somewhere waiting for me," he teased.

"No buyer's remorse though, right?" I asked.

"None at all. It's just a big step. My nervousness is normal, right?"

"Absolutely. Don't worry. I think you've made an excellent choice. That house is adorable and I'm sure you'll enjoy doing the little improvements it needs. Emmett said he'd help you out, right? I know he's pretty handy with any kind of household repair."

The McCarty's constantly had some home project going on with Emmett doing most of the work himself.

"Yeah, we're supposed to get started this weekend. He said he would come over Saturday morning so we could make a list of what needed to be done and maybe tackle some projects."

"Sounds like fun. Maybe I can swing by with Brandon and bring you some lunch," I suggested.

His answering grin made that familiar fluttering deep in my belly come alive again. "Sure, that would be great."

Rosalie walked in then and invited Edward and me through the door and into the conference room. As he sat down in the gray chair and propped his elbows on the onyx colored table to go over his small forest of loan documents with Rosalie, I noticed his knee bouncing. I smiled at his anxiousness since I had no doubt that he could handle all of this responsibility.

Forty-five minutes later, Edward handed over the check and shook hands with Rosalie. All that was left to do was disburse on the loan since the seller had already signed their documents. She promised to call me as soon as funds had been received so I could turn over the keys to Edward.

Edward laced his fingers through mine as he walked me to my car. When we reached it, he gave me a quick peck and started to walk away as I climbed in the car. He turned suddenly.

"Hey, I forgot…Emmett asked if we'd like to join him and Rosalie for dinner Friday night. I figured the loan should be complete by then and we can go out and celebrate. You, Brandon and me."

"Sure," I smiled. "We'd love to."

"Great, I'll let Emmett know. I'll call you tonight, okay?" I didn't get a chance to nod my agreement before he leaned over and placed a firm kiss on my mouth. He walked away with a Cheshire Cat smile and waved goodbye as crossed the lot to climb into his truck.

**~ D ~**

Friday evening when Edward met us at our house, I was running behind and busy trying to dress Brandon, a task that had become increasingly difficult as of late. He calmly took Brandon's clothes from me, caught the little Tasmanian devil and successfully dressed him in record time without a peep from the little whirlwind.

Life is not fair.

Once I had fixed my hair and threw on another shirt, I counted to ten and calmed myself down. I walked back into the living room to find the two of them racing matchbox cars across the floor. They both looked up at the same time with a smile, melting my icy heart and making me completely forget the battle I had with Brandon earlier. At that moment, I couldn't imagine any other girl as lucky as me.

By the time we arrived at the restaurant, Rosalie and Emmett were already seated and trying to entertain Lily. She immediately shrieked at the sight of Brandon and insisted that he sit right next to her. The two of them proceeded to color and play with the car Brandon had brought with him, occupying themselves quietly and giving the adults time to socialize.

As Edward discussed some of his players with Emmett, I took the opportunity to study his profile. Or rather, ogle his profile. His eyelashes were obscenely long for a man; every time he blinked they seemed to brush against his cheek. His lips were full and moved quickly as he spoke of things that I couldn't focus on. At the moment, I was too absorbed in the day-old scruff lining his prominent jaw, wondering what it would feel like as it scratched against my inner thighs as he went down, down, down-

"Bella, is your phone ringing?"

"Hmm?" I broke out of my Edward-induced trance and looked over at Rosalie. She grinned knowingly and nodded toward the seat beside me.

"Your phone. I think it was ringing."

"Oh," I exclaimed as I broke out of my haze.

I dug into my purse and found my phone. Sure enough, there was a missed call from a number I didn't recognize which wasn't abnormal for me. People called me at all times of the day inquiring about listings I had. When it came to selling real estate, there were no "business hours".

I assumed whoever it was would leave a voicemail if they needed me badly enough. Otherwise, I wasn't going to let them interrupt my time with my boys. After leaving the phone out for a minute or two without any notice of a voicemail, I tucked it back into my purse and turned my attention back to the table instead of to my fantasy, which is really where I wanted to be.

I glanced up across the restaurant as the waitress was placing our meals in front of us to see my dad walk in the front door. And he wasn't alone. Sue Clearwater, whose husband, Harry, died a couple of years after my mom, was with him. It looked like they were on a date.

"You will catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that." Edward teased with a laugh while raising an inquisitive eyebrow.

"My dad is over there," I replied. He looked in the direction I nodded and smiled.

"Is he on a date?"

"It looks that way. He hasn't dated in a while. He tried a few years ago, but I think the loss of mom was still too new."

"He looks happy," Edward said lightly. He was right. Dad was laughing and smiling as he pulled out Sue's chair for her. It had been a long time since I had seen that kind of light in my Dad. I missed seeing that smile on his face. Brandon and I could make him smile, but this was different.

"You're right." I tried to focus back on our table instead of my Dad's date, but it was hard. I kept glancing back toward his table and if I strained really hard, I could hear their laughter. Before I realized it, I was smiling myself while watching their interaction.

As we made our way toward the door after dinner, Brandon spotted Papa Charlie and made a beeline to his table. The moment my dad spotted us he blushed a shade of red so deep it looked like he might be suddenly sunburnt. His eyes darted to Sue and his expression was downright sheepish.

"Hi, Dad," I greeted with a knowing smile. "Hi, Sue. How are you?"

"Bella!" She stood and hugged me tightly. "I'm wonderful. How are you?" She and I chatted back and forth while Edward greeted Dad and Brandon rattled on and on about the spaghetti he had for dinner. Sue bent down and doted on him, making him smile and answer the questions she asked. He had met her before around town but I was surprised that he reacted the way he did. He wasn't at all shy with her.

I realized that we were interrupting their date and made Brandon say his goodbyes. Edward said his also and stepped away from the table hand-in-hand with Brandon and led him outside. I told Sue I'd see her soon and leaned over and gave my Dad a hug. He had looked nervous during the entire interaction and I needed to put his mind at ease if he was worried about my reaction.

"I'm happy for you," I said quietly so that only he heard.

I leaned back and smiled. His face relaxed into an easy grin and it made me happy to see him content.

"We'll all have to have dinner soon," Sue said as I turned to leave. "We need to catch up on old and new news." She shot a sly wink my way as Charlie nodded.

"Sure thing. Just tell Dad to let me know when and we'll be there."

Goodbyes were exchanged once again and I walked out the door. Edward and Brandon were sitting on a bench outside talking about baseball and playing catch.

"LaLa!" He called when he caught sight of me. He started talking so fast that I couldn't understand him and only caught the words 'ball' and 'glove' because I had overheard their conversation.

"He said he wants a ball and glove for his birthday so I can teach him to play baseball."

I nodded . "I'm sure we can probably arrange that, buddy. You ready to go? We need to get you home and in bed." My last words were in perfect timing with his actions as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Okay, LaLa." He hopped off the bench and grabbed my hand. He held out his other hand for Edward's and the three of us made our way to the car, looking very much like a little family to any outsider who didn't know our situation. For the first time since Edward and I started dating, I realized that could be a very real possible scenario in our future, and I was completely content with that.

**~ D ~**

"He went down pretty easy," Edward commented as we crept out of Brandon's room.

"I think he was exhausted. When I picked him up this afternoon, his teacher told me that he had only napped for about thirty minutes. I guess he was too keyed up today."

I led the way back to the couch where Edward and I normally piled up together to watch a movie … or make out. I was kind of hoping for the latter tonight.

Edward fidgeted beside me for a minute before I heard his quiet, reserved voice. "I need to ask you something, but I don't want it to freak you out. Don't feel like you have to say 'yes'."

"Despite you asking me not to freak out, I kind of am, so spit it out already," I laughed nervously.

He smiled softly. "It's nothing bad. I need to go into Seattle soon since the deal on the house is complete. I have some things to pick up from a Home Depot there that the smaller ones don't carry. I also wanted to visit a Best Buy to buy a new TV for the house."

"Okay?" I wasn't sure where he was going with this. Was he asking my permission to go?

"I thought I would go Labor Day weekend since school starts back that Tuesday, and, well I know Brandon will be with Jasper that weekend. I wondered if you'd like to join me," he asked quietly.

I mentally calculated the upcoming days, realizing it was only two weekends away. "Are we talking an overnight trip?"

"Well, yes," he replied abashedly. "I don't want to have to drive all the way there and turn around and come right back. I had initially planned to stay at a hotel."

When I didn't immediately respond he quickly added onto his statement.

"There are no expectations, Bella, just sleeping. I can even request two beds. I'm not asking you to go for _that_. That's not what I want. Well, I mean, I _do_ want it but not until you're ready and I completely understand-"

"Edward." He paused his rambling and looked over at me. "I'd love to join you, under two conditions."

"Anything you want, Bella."

I smiled to myself, dirty thoughts running through my mind, but I'd save those for later. Maybe specifically for the weekend in question.

"Number one, I want to fit in a trip to a Toys R Us. Brandon's birthday party will be the next weekend, so I want to pick up some things for him."

"Oh, yeah! Great idea. I need to pick up a glove and ball for him anyway since he wants me to teach him how to play baseball. I'm sure I can find something there. What's number two?"

"Number two, I get the right side of the bed."

Edward's eyes crinkled at the edges when he grinned. "I believe I can sacrifice that much." He reached over and pulled me closer to him, intertwining the fingers of my right hand with his left. His face went soft as his free hand brushed a lock of hair out of my eyes and tucked it behind my ear. "I just thought you could use a night away. I'd love to stay the weekend, but I know Jasper only keeps Brandon one night."

A thought crossed my mind and was past my lips before I could stop it.

"I could always see if he could keep him another night. I don't know if he would have to work or not, but it couldn't hurt to ask."

"It's up to you, sweetheart. If we stay two nights, you could show me the touristy sites of Seattle," he said with a wink.

"Okay, I'll ask him when he picks up Brandon tomorrow and let you know."

"Good. I'll make the necessary arrangements when you give me the go-ahead."

He smiled and played with the end of a thick strand of my hair, brushing it back and forth across my bare upper arm.

"You know I adore Brandon, but it'll be nice to spend some time alone with you," he commented as he looked at me with a hint of mischief playing in his eyes.

Before I could comment on what type of alone time I had in mind, I was sidetracked by my phone ringing again from my purse. I grabbed it up and saw the same number from earlier flashing across the screen and reluctantly answered it this time. I should've known who it would be.

"Bella?" Alice sniffled on the other end of the phone, alerting me to the fact that she was crying.

In any other situation, a sister would immediately be concerned. Not me. This was not the first time Alice had called me crying. Usually, she was drunk when she did it so she would ramble on and on about what a bad person she was or how she wished she could take back so many things. I expected as much this time.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I asked indifferently.

I was so tired. Tired of the random times she picked to pop back into our lives. Tired of the drama she carried around with her. Tired of dealing with her, period.

"Bella, I want to come home."

_She called me at nine o'clock at night to tell me that?_

"Well, come home then," I said, exasperated.

"I … I don't have any money." _Ah. There we go._

"Alice, I don't have any money to give you. Sorry." I started to hang up the phone when I heard her cry out.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I'm such a mess and I just want to come home. I just want to make everything right. Please. I just need the money for a bus ticket. I'm just so tired of all of this. I need … I need to get better," she said quietly.

I held up a finger to Edward, who was giving me a concerned look, as I rose from the couch and walked out onto the porch. I battled back and forth with myself over whether or not to let her begging get to me. Countless times I had heard the same thing from her and so many times we have all been disappointed. But I held onto hope that, one day, the strong person I knew was deep down inside of her would come back to life and she would actually clean herself up. That hope won me over.

"Do you still have your debit card to your bank account here?" I asked through a defeated sigh.

"I think so. Let me check." I heard her rummaging around in what I assumed was her purse before she confirmed that she had found it.

"I'll deposit three hundred dollars into your account tomorrow morning. That should be plenty of money for you to catch a bus, but there is something you have to promise me, Alice."

"Anything you want, Bella. I promise. Anything." Her voice held strong conviction.

"You cannot come back here and barge in on Brandon's life. You have to clean yourself up before I'll even consider talking to Shelley to see if you can visit with him again. I'm confident you're in more than a bit of trouble with the courts, so when you get back you meet with your counselor and attorney and check into some rehab programs. Inpatient, outpatient, I don't care. But you _will_ get clean."

"I know, Bella. I promise that's the first thing I'll do, and I'll stay away from you and Brandon until I'm sober."

"Good." I paused as I listened to her sniffling on the other end. "This is the last time, Alice. I mean it. If you aren't home by next week with a clear head and determination to get clean, I'm done. I'll do everything possible to have all your parental rights stripped and I'll pursue adopting Brandon. He doesn't deserve this. You've been given too many chances, Alice."

"I know, Bella," she cried. "I'm ready. I really am. I promise."

_I promise._ Famous last words.

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><p><strong>Let me know what you think. Don't scream at me though. I'm fragile this week. Thursday, I'll be mourning the loss of my twenties… ; )<strong>


	12. Float

**I'm only three days late. I probably would have posted this chapter on time if I hadn't worried myself, and all of my prereaders/betas, to death about it. Thank you's and I love you's to jessypt, burntcore and EmDempster. They kept me sane during this mess. **

**Disclaimer still applies and I still love each and every one of you for reading and for your kind words. They mean the world to me.**

* * *

><p>Alice never showed.<p>

I paced for a week after depositing the money into her account. I even tried the number that she had called me from only to have the phone answered by some asshole named Felix, a bouncer with a bad attitude at a place named _Twilight Lounge_. Apparently, my sister had held a job stripping for all of five days before she disappeared.

I couldn't tell my father what I had done. He would have been all over my ass for giving her money in the first place. I should've known better. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.

By the time Labor Day weekend rolled around, I had rid myself of my frustration and anger by spending a few nights screaming into my pillow and crying to myself. Edward saw how bad this last stunt Alice pulled had affected me and listened to me rant and vent until I was hoarse and exhausted. He had become my rock, the person that kept me stable and sane, especially when it came to all things Alice-related. I don't know what I would've done without him.

"You all ready to go?" Edward stood in the doorway of my bedroom, waiting for me to finish stuffing my toiletries into my overnight bag so he could put it in his truck.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied. I zipped it up and handed it over to him. He disappeared out the front door but not before stopping to pick up Brandon's overnight bag. Brandon wandered out of his room with his arms full of toys.

"Is that what you're going to take with you to your daddy's house?" I asked. He nodded and continued into the living room. He wasn't too happy about spending two nights with Jasper, especially when he learned that I would be with Edward all weekend. He had pitched one hell of a fit initially and insisted on going with us. Thankfully, Jasper called a few nights ago and talked him into spending the weekend with him.

Edward had also talked to him at some point during the week, and while I'm not one hundred percent sure, I think there was some bribery involved. Probably in the form of visits to the ice cream stand.

I grabbed his dinosaur backpack and held it for him as he filled it with toys.

"I bet you'll have a great time with your dad! While you're playing and wrestling, I'll be stuck shopping." I playfully scrunched my nose up, knowing how much he detested shopping.

"Dat's no fun, LaLa. You should go to 'da park or 'sumpin." I nodded in agreement.

"I'll see what I can do, but it wouldn't be any fun without you anyway," I said as I touched his little nose. I grew a bit somber and tried to keep my emotions in check so that I wouldn't upset him.

"I'll miss you this weekend." He looked up from digging through his backpack.

"I'll miss you too, LaLa." I tried not to let his nonchalant attitude get me down. "Can I have a snack?"

I laughed at his short attention span and walked into the kitchen to put some crackers in a bag for him. By the time I walked back into the living room, Edward had come back inside and was wrestling on the floor with Brandon.

"Are we ready to go?" I asked. They both nodded and rose from the floor. Brandon grabbed the snack bag from me and bounded down the steps and out to the car.

**~ D ~**

One hour later, Edward and I were cruising down the road on our way to Seattle. The drop-off with Jasper had gone well. I wanted Edward to meet him so that he knew who Jasper was and vice versa. Edward spent a lot of time with Brandon and was becoming a very influential male figure in his young life.

The two of them were cordial, but I could see Jasper's mouth press into a thin line when Brandon gave Edward a hug and "super hero fist bump" before my standard kisses and hugs.

I pounded Jasper with question after question and made sure he had both mine and Edward's cell numbers just in case of an emergency. I even gave him copies of Brandon's insurance card and a list of doctors' numbers in case he needed to go to the hospital. I had it all in a plastic baggie and when I handed it over to him, he struggled to keep from rolling his eyes. Maybe I was being silly, but when you have kids, you can never be over-prepared.

One final wave to Brandon, a quick trip back to my house to switch into Edward's truck, and we were on the road.

"He'll be okay," Edward said as he glanced over at me from the driver's seat. I stopped biting my nails, a dirty habit I always had whenever I was nervous.

"I know. I just can't help but worry."

He brought our intertwined fingers to his lips and kissed my knuckles.

"If anything happens, we'll haul ass back to Port Angeles. I promise." I smiled and nodded, silently praying once again that everything would be okay.

I called Jasper once we had checked into the lovely, quaint little bed and breakfast where we were staying. When he assured me that Brandon was fine, my nerves calmed a bit and I took in the surroundings of our room. The three windows on the far wall offered a gorgeous view of a large backyard filled with trees whose leaves were already turning red and golden. A beautiful park was in the distance and I wondered if we could walk there this evening. We had planned on relaxing tonight and then driving into the city the next day to take care of our business we came for.

After dinner at a local bar and grill and stopping off at Starbucks for coffee, Edward indulged me and drove over to the park for an evening stroll. It was a little chilly, so I threw on a light jacket and hooked my arm through Edward's as we walked, glad to have an excuse to snuggle up to him.

We did talk but mainly we spent the walk in silence, enjoying the scenery and each other's company without unnecessary chatter. He caught me off guard when he suddenly jerked to the left and started walking through the grass.

"Where are you going?" I asked. He didn't answer but stooped down and yanked up a lone dandelion. It was the only one around and very much out of place seeing as how it was much too late in the year to be in bloom.

"Here," he said as he tried to hand it over to me. I smiled to myself, remembering the conversation he and I had weeks ago when I compared Brandon to a dandelion.

"Nah, I have my own back home," I said with a wink. "Why don't you keep it? Make a wish and blow."

He eyed me thoughtfully for a few moments before shutting his eyes and blowing the wispy seeds away.

"What did you wish for?"

"Now Miss Swan, don't you know that if you tell your wishes, they won't come true?" he asked coyly. He tsk'ed me, threw the stem down, and led me back to the walking path without another word.

That evening, when we crawled into bed, there was snuggling and kissing and light touching, but it didn't go any further. We didn't talk about it, there just seemed to be an unspoken agreement between us of 'not tonight'. We fell asleep with our feet tangled and skin touching.

**~ D ~**

The next day was filled with things to do. We got Edward's errands out of the way first by visiting Home Depot so he could pick up a light fixture and vanity he had been looking for. When I asked why he hadn't just ordered them online, I got a ten minute lecture about how much he detested paying shipping charges. I made a mental note to never alert him about how much stuff I ordered from Amazon and eBay.

He found his perfect, huge bachelor pad television at Best Buy and the salesman convinced him to splurge on a surround sound. When the men started talking about subwoofers and wattage, I politely excused myself to check out the digital cameras. The one I had was on its last leg and needed some coaxing to work half of the time. It was something I was going to have to replace very soon so I didn't miss any important moments in Brandon's life. Pictures were the only thing I could keep forever to help me recall things like his first steps and his first plate of spaghetti. I couldn't miss out on his first baseball game or first day of school.

Edward found me while I was still playing around with the cameras, turning them on and off and seeing how far they would zoom.

"Getting a new camera?" he asked.

"Nah, not today. I'll need one soon. Mine is old and feeble, but it'll do for now." I put the Nikon I had in my hand down and turned to him. "You all finished?"

"Yeah, I need to head to the checkout."

"Okay. I'm going to step outside and call to check on Brandon. I'll meet you out there."

He nodded, pecked me on the cheek and headed in the direction of where the salesman was waiting with a smile. I didn't know if he made commission or not, but if he did, he had a reason to be smiling.

Brandon spoke with me on the phone briefly. Jasper said he was too busy digging up the back yard with a stick. After being reassured once again that Brandon was fine, we said our goodbyes. I gave myself a little pep talk and refocused on why I had joined Edward on this trip in the first place - to spend time with him and focus on _us_. He had walked out of the store and gone to retrieve the truck while I was on the phone and was now loading his purchases in the backseat with the aid of one of the employees. When they were finished, Edward walked over, steered me over to the passenger's side and opened the door for me. He wore a secretive smile and when I asked him about it, he shook his head and wiped it off his face.

We made a quick trip back to the bed and breakfast to drop off what he had purchased. Edward had made prior arrangements with the owners to store his big items in a locked building they had onsite so that it wasn't left in the truck overnight. The owner, Liam, a nice, middle-aged man, came out when we pulled around to the building to help Edward. They proceeded to chat about renovations on Edward's house and there was more of that wattage-talk when he saw the surround sound boxes.

The owner's wife, Maggie, joined us, so she and I struck up a conversation about how long they had owned the house we were staying in. She was delightful and genuine, a mothering kind of woman. They had two sons, Austin and Mark, who would be home the next weekend to celebrate their upcoming anniversary of twenty-five years.

"How long have you two been married?" she asked me.

"Oh, we aren't married." I cringed after my confession, hoping that she wouldn't judge us for staying together with our lack of wedding bands. But there was no judgment on her smiling face.

"Really? I was sure that you were. It's obvious how much you two love each other. Even one of the other guests commented on it this morning." I blushed and smiled at her words.

The "L" word was something that I had thought about a lot in the past week. I tried not to dwell on it since he hadn't said it to me, nor had given me any indication that he was planning on doing so.

The question of whether or not he and I would have sex had weighed heavily on my mind prior to this trip. Sex was not something I took lightly because, in my eyes, it was the ultimate gesture of giving your heart to someone. But I also didn't want to pressure myself to drop those three little words in order to justify me sleeping with him.

It was during one of my thinking sessions I realized that I _was_ in love with him. There was no precise moment that I recalled falling head over heels. It was a combination of everything-how he consumed my every free thought, how he interacted with Brandon, how he treated me like a precious gem and made me feel safe and adored. I kept the revelation to myself, waiting on a sign from him that he was ready for what I had to say.

"Thank you," I said to Maggie. "I do adore him. He's a wonderful man. But we haven't been together that long."

"Sometimes men expect us to just know what they're thinking instead of actually saying things out loud," she said wisely, as if she knew what I was thinking. "But I've seen the way he looks at you. Rest assured, he feels the same way you do."

**~ D ~**

Later that afternoon, I stood in front of the display of books in Toys R Us, trying to decide between _Llama Llama Red Pajama_ and the classic _Tawny Scrawny Lion_. Edward disappeared again, tiring of my indecision when it to books. The poor man had never been shopping with me before, so he had no idea how fickle I could be when it came to making decisions in a store. We had been in there for an hour and a half.

I wanted to buy both books, but it was a little excessive considering I already had two LeapFrog toys, a ball, a memory game and Chutes and Ladders in my cart; not to mention the stuff Edward had piled in there like a tiny baseball glove, ball and bat.

To say that he had thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the toy store would be an understatement. I had to rein him in more than once or Brandon would've owned the entire stock of toys they carried. It was Edward's first trip to a Toys R Us, seeing how he had never had a reason to visit one before.

"You ready?" he asked as he came up behind me, pushing the cart that seemed to have accrued a superman mask since the last time I saw it. I could tell he was getting hungry and impatient with me.

"No, not yet. Let me just-"

"Bella," he cut me off. "It's not a life or death decision. I'm sure he'll love whatever you pick out. I love you, but I swear if you don't pick one soon, I'm going to leave you here while I go get dinner." Considering he'd just made _the _three word declaration for the first time, he wore an awfully stern look.

In the shock of hearing those words fall from him mouth, I let the _Tawny Scrawny Lion_ drop in the cart as he muttered, "Thank God."

I didn't say much as we checked out … together, at Edward's insistence. He let me contribute a little bit of money but paid for the majority of what we bought.

We stopped at a little Italian place for dinner and while we waited on our food to arrive, I couldn't keep myself from addressing what he said in the store.

"Edward, I need to ask you something."

He arched an eyebrow, a signal to continue.

"When we were in the toy store and you were getting so aggravated because I wouldn't make a decision and threatened to leave me…"

He laughed. I scowled playfully at him.

"Anyway, you said something that caught my attention." I ducked my head and picked at my nails trying to distract myself. "Did you mean it?" I peeked up at him hesitantly. He was grinning.

"What? That I would leave you? I wouldn't do that," he said with a wink. I knew he was teasing me and reached over and slapped his arm gently. He caught my hand between his and brought it up to his lips, kissing it softly.

"Oh, you mean that I love you? Yes, I did. I do. I don't know if you're ready to hear it yet, but I do." His eyes reflected the light of the dancing flame from the candle on our table and in that moment, he looked angelic. I couldn't believe he was mine.

"I do, too," I replied softly. "I mean, I love you, too."

"Bella, don't feel obligated to say it back. I never meant to blurt it out that way. I didn't mean to pressure you into anything."

"No, I don't feel pressured. I realized earlier this week and was just waiting for the right time." His answering smile made we wish I had told him sooner. He placed another kiss on my palm just as our dinner arrived.

We enjoyed our meal while playing footsie under the table and taking every opportunity possible to touch one another. I had no doubt from the look in his eyes and the fire burning in me that tonight would be _the night_. I was ready.

**~ D ~**

It was pouring rain when we arrived back at the house. There was even thunder, a rarity around here. We dashed from the truck, laughing when we couldn't avoid the puddles in the driveway. We were soaked when we walked through the door and made our way up to our room with a smile and wave to Liam and Maggie.

I disappeared into the bathroom with my pajamas and jumped into the shower. I made sure my legs were smooth and my body was scrubbed really well. My insides, especially the lower parts, were quivering in anticipation of what was to come. I dressed quickly and stepped into the room. Edward was on the phone with his mother and sweetly told her he loved her before he hung up.

While he showered, I turned down the bed and fluffed the pillows, finding anything to do to keep my hands busy.

He emerged shirtless, his glorious body on display as he wore only a pair of black boxer briefs. I thanked the heavens for his lack of modesty when it came to bedtime. One of the best discoveries of this trip was that he only slept in his underwear. Last night it was dark when we climbed under the covers, so I wasn't treated to the vision of his bare chest. This evening, however, there was still some daylight streaming through the windows, allowing me to see, rather than feel, how well defined his chest was. If I thought he looked good with clothes on, it was nothing compared to how he looked with his clothes off.

I silently watched him from the bed as he moved around the room. I wanted so much to go to him, but held myself back. _What are you so scared of?_ The voice in my head chastised me for being such a wimp and waiting on him to come to me.

I squared my shoulders and stood straight. Nothing. There was nothing to be scared of. I was simply over-thinking and doubting myself, but there was no reason for that.

His bare back was turned to me when I walked over to where he stood at the dresser. He was rummaging through one of the shallow drawers, where he had stuffed a few of his belongings, when I touched his shoulder blade with just the tips of my fingers. He stilled instantly and looked up, my eyes peeking around his shoulder to meet his in the reflection of the mirror. I smiled softly and disappeared behind him. It was partly so I could focus on tracing the taut muscles on his back and partly because I was admittedly shy. We were about to take this relationship to another level and it excited and scared the hell out of me, all at the same time.

When his hands came up to grip the edge of the dresser, I saw the muscles in his forearm flex. My hands drifted from his back, cupping his wrists before slowly trailing upwards as I planted tiny kisses between his shoulder blades. He shivered beneath my touch when I gently gripped his biceps.

"You're driving me crazy, Bella," he said softly.

"Good." I smiled against him as he laughed quietly and let my hands continue their exploration over his body. They traced down his back and around his torso to his stomach. My nails lightly dragged across the skin right above the waistband of his boxers, earning a groan from him and a loss of power for me.

He spun around quickly and crashed his lips to mine. His hand cupped the back of my neck and tilted my head, deepening the kiss and sending my hormones into overdrive. My heart was racing, it had been _so_ long since I had been intimate with anyone. It might've also had to do with Edward copying my move and stroking the exposed skin above my waistband. I shuddered at his touch, making him grin against my mouth.

"You're driving _me_ crazy now," I said, my voice breathy to my own ears.

"Good. Now you know how it feels," he whispered. Indeed I did.

Since it seemed as though he was following my lead, I turned us so that I could push him back on the bed. There was a jumbling of lips and body parts as he sat down, but once we were settled and back into the groove, I was straddling his lap. His hands gripped my hips tighter and tighter as I started to move back and forth, back and forth, across the hardness I could feel through my thin cotton shorts.

His fingers toyed with the hem of my shirt, raising it a little at a time. I knew what he wanted so I reached down and pulled it over my head. His eyes grew wide at my boldness and in that moment, I felt powerful.

He picked me up off of his lap and lowered me gently to the bed, our mouths connected the entire time. Somehow, we managed to rid each other of our remaining clothing and soon we were both naked. It was a little intimidating since we had gone straight from kissing and innocent touches to this but in my heart, I knew it was right.

Lowering his head, he placed open-mouthed kisses on the hollow at the base of my neck and one on each side of my collar bone before finally turning his attention to my breasts. My hands came up to tangle in his hair as he flicked his tongue across one of my nipples before taking it his mouth and gently sucking. His actions made my hips buck involuntarily trying to meet his. I felt his length brush between my thighs and I was lucky enough that the angle allowed his tip to graze me in my most sensitive spot as my hips descended to the bed, coaxing a half-sigh, half-groan from me.

"Bella?" I opened my eyes to see that he had risen up a little and was hovering over me. His eyes were intense, but his expression was soft. My name had fallen from his lips in a soft, whispered question and I knew he was asking if I was sure that I was ready for this. When I looked up at him, the late evening post-rain sun rays were still streaming through the windows, making his eyes almost sparkle and illuminating the tips of his hair. His look of adoration helped me confirm my decision. This was my way of giving him every piece of my heart that I possibly could.

In answer to his implied question, I sat up slightly to meet his lips and brought him back down with me. His body sank down slowly and rested between my thighs. The weight of him on top of me was the most wonderful feeling in the world. While I had no expectations of some extraordinary, marathon love-making our first time, I felt exactly the way I wanted to at that moment - safe and secure and loved.

Our kisses turned heated and passionate and once again, I grinded against him, feeling our skin creating a delicious friction until I could tell he was on edge. The hand that held the back of my neck traveled down my body and gently grabbed the underside of my thigh, pulling and positioning and opening up for him until I felt exposed and wanting. Just when I was about to reassure him that this is what I wanted, I felt him slowly sink deep, deep into me.

Edward buried his face in the curve of my neck and let out a quiet, shuddery "Oh God" as he began his thrusting. His body overtook mine so much that I could barely move except to wrap my arms around his shoulders. He gripped the backs of both my thighs, spreading me for greater access. He placed a trail of kisses beginning at the curve of my neck and continued upwards until he reached my mouth.

When he repositioned his knees to settle under my thighs and sat back a little, I lost my grip on the fine hairs at the back of his neck. My hands ran down his torso and settled on his chest, my fingernails scraping his skin every time he rocked.

His breathing picked up from the synchronized panting we shared and his pace became erratic. I could tell he was trying to fight it off, but it was no use. He rocked us one more time and grew still before collapsing on me. My fingers immediately weaved back through his hair, holding him close to me and letting me feel his rapidly beating heart.

"I am so sorry," he mumbled.

"For what?" I was appalled that he was apologizing for what just happened.

"I'm humiliated. Our first time together and I was basically a two-pump chump." He groaned and buried his face deep in my neck.

I burst out laughing at his self-proclaimed nickname. "No you weren't! And it's no big deal. You can make it up to me later," I teased as he propped up on his elbows.

"Oh, I definitely will. I promise. It will take me a long, long time to redeem myself. In my defense, it's been a long, long time."

"Yeah, me too. But we have all the time in the world to make up for it."

"That we do," he agreed. He kissed me soundly before standing up and heading into the bathroom. I shamelessly watched him walk away and made mental plans for later.

**~ D ~**

We didn't bother redressing. I was surprised that I felt as comfortable as I did lying naked with him since I was usually pretty self-conscious about my body. We snuggled in bed and found a movie on TV that caught our attention but were only halfway through it when Edward decided to keep his promise.

Edward's hands roamed every part of my body that he could reach. When they brushed down the sides of my breasts, it became clear that he was ready for his redemption round. I tipped my head back to see him staring at me. His mouth immediately covered mine and the movie was forgotten.

The flicker of the screen cast colorful glows around the room as our foreplay started much the same as before. However, when Edward started a descent down my body, his day old stubble tickling me deliciously in all the right places, I realized that this round was going to be much, much more electrifying. My eyes fluttered closed as my arms stretched above my head, hands grasping the scrolled iron of the headboard when they made contact with it.

Imagine my shock when I discovered that my boyfriend apparently had some sort of magical tongue that could send me into ecstasy in record time. He found that secret, hidden spot of pleasure and teased and tantalized it until the darkness behind my eyelids was quickly overcome by white starbursts, leaving my head feeling like it was under water and everything else was far, far away. I drifted as I caught my breath, feeling him pepper kisses along the inside of my thighs, but he didn't linger there long.

The bed shifted and as soon as I opened my eyes, he was once again buried deep inside of me, his hands ghosting up my arms and prying mine from where they were wrapped around the black iron. He tangled our fingers together and slightly pressed them into the soft pillow as he tried to gain leverage. Since I had just come down from floating on a cloud, it didn't take much for me to be soaring again. He hit just the right angle, sending me over the edge.

He sat up and pulled me with him so that we were chest to chest and bent his head so that we were face to face. His forehead rested against mine and our rhythmic breathing fell in time once more. It was intense and passionate and just what I needed.

His eyes squeezed shut and the lines of his forehead appeared as he rocked us back and forth, turning his head so he could whisper sweet words of love and worship in my ear.

"I love you," were the words I whispered back as I gripped his arms. It seemed to make him lose the control he had and he finally let go. He clutched me tightly and held me still against him as he lost himself in his own pleasure.

Once we had both caught our breath, he lowered me back down to the bed, collapsing beside me momentarily before he disappeared to the bathroom. I was half-asleep when he crawled back into bed. My body wasn't used to this delightfully strenuous activity, so I was exhausted. From the looks of Edward, he was too.

He snuggled in close behind me, intertwining our legs under the sheet. I yawned loudly, making him chuckle.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Yes. But the best kind of tired. You can wear me out anytime, Mr. Cullen."

"Mmm, indeed, Miss Swan. I intend to do so often. Now that we've done that, you'll _never_ get rid of me. I'll be like an annoying stray cat."

I reached down and laced our fingers together and brought them up to rest close to my heart.

"I'd never want to get rid of you. You're stuck with me now."

He planted a kiss under my ear. "Then my wish has come true."

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><p><strong>Reviews aren't better than Edward telling you he loves you in Toys R Us, but I'd still love to know what you think. Writing anything of the citrusy nature gives me an anxiety attack. <strong>

**P.S. I started a blog for fandom stuff. Link will be on my profile. **


	13. Weed

**Thank you. I adore you all. I couldn't ask for better readers. **

**You know it's not mine. Love and thanks to the usual suspects, EllisBell725 and EmDempster.**

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><p>The drive back from Seattle was bittersweet. I really, <em>really<em> wanted more time with Edward. Our time together the previous night, not to mention the early morning romp in bed and the post coital activities in the shower before checkout, was not nearly enough. But alas, neither of us was seventeen anymore so we were both blissfully exhausted and sated.

As much as I had reveled in my alone time with Edward, I missed Brandon something terrible. It was the longest he and I had ever been away from each other. I knew it was as good for him as it was for me to have a little time apart, but two nights were plenty. I needed to see with my own eyes that he had made it through the weekend unscathed.

We made a quick trip to Edward's house to drop off his purchases before returning to mine to pick up my car so we could meet Jasper at our normal spot. We saw them waiting when we entered the lot and I was barely out of the car before Brandon barreled toward us and crashed into my legs. He hugged me tightly around my knees and then proceeded to do the same to Edward. I could tell Edward was caught off guard by his affection, but he smiled warmly and returned the hug bending down and lifting Brandon into his arms. After I had my time to get kisses and hugs as Brandon stayed perched in Edward's arms, the pair headed to my car to get strapped in for the ride home.

Jasper was abnormally quiet during the reunion. He stared at my car as he watched Edward get Brandon situated in the backseat.

"He seems to get along pretty well with your boyfriend," Jasper commented.

"Yeah, they're big buddies. I might as well not even exist when Edward is around," I said with a laugh. It didn't escape my notice that Jasper didn't laugh with me, but only smiled tightly.

"He did really well this weekend," he said, changing the subject. "He was well-behaved and didn't have any problems with you being gone."

I don't know if he intended to hurt me with those words or not, but they stung.

"I'm glad," I lied. "I was hoping that he'd be okay with being away for two nights."

"I think it was good for him. Maybe he can start spending more time with me. We aren't limited to one night, right?"

His request caught me off guard and I paused, "Well, no…"

"Good. I'll meet you on Friday afternoon next time and we will keep our normal Sunday return time. I'll alert my attorney that you and I agreed to the change and you can call the social worker."

"Okay, but…"

"Is there some problem with me spending the extra time with him, Bella?" The challenge was evident in his words, like he was just waiting for me to make a wrong move.

"I just want to make sure it's the right decision for him."

"I have no doubt that it is," he replied confidently. "Glad to see you and I can work together without dragging this back through the system. See you next time."

And with that, he walked back toward his car. I watched him get in, noticed that his girlfriend was in the passenger seat clacking away on her phone, and tried to absorb what had just happened.

I had a flurry of emotions running through me. While I knew that Brandon deserved the extra time with his father, I couldn't help but feel like Jasper had just conned me into getting what he wanted. And I had given in without any argument, not a good precedent to set.

Regardless, it was not something I wanted to drag back to court either. Judge Aro's stand on birth parents was enough to keep me from calling up Shelley and Rosalie for a court date. I didn't want to rock that boat because I was afraid _I_ would be the one to sink. I tried to let the anxiety wash away as Brandon excitedly told us about his weekend on the way back to the house.

I had assumed that Edward would go home once we got back, but he stayed the rest of the afternoon. We played with Brandon and ate a quick dinner before he said he had to go. It was hard to part with him that night, especially after everything that had transpired over the weekend, but the kiss he gave me on the porch when he left reassured me that it pained him just as much. I hoped that there would be a future where he and I didn't have to say 'goodbye' in the evening but, rather, 'goodnight'.

**~ D ~**

The following week was chaotic, school had started the day after we returned, which didn't help matters. I had several appointments and closings, which was great for my paycheck but hell on my personal life. I barely had time to get Brandon fed, bathed and in bed, let alone see Edward.

School had started the day after we returned which didn't help matters. We saw each other briefly on Wednesday evening when he came over for dinner, but that was it until Saturday, Brandon's party and our birthday.

He was my savior that day. Brandon was wild with anticipation of the birthday party. I was trying to gather up decorations, wrapped gifts and supplies while Edward kept Brandon entertained.

Of course, it involved him giving Brandon an early present, his ball and glove. They played in the front yard and didn't come in until it was close to time for us to leave for the park. I had to be there a little bit early so I could decorate the small community center next to the playground where the actual party would be held.

I was so busy digging in a drawer trying to find my cake server that I didn't hear them enter the house until Brandon tackled me from the side and wished me a very loud, "Happy Birfday, LaLa!" I looked up to grin at him and saw that he was holding a wrapped box. Edward was propped against the wall in the kitchen, looking smug.

"Did you get _another_ birthday present from Edward?"

"Noooo, LaLa! This one's yours!" He thrust the box into my hands but didn't wait for me to firmly grasp it before he started ripping the paper off.

"Wow, I get a present? I thought you were the one who got all the presents," I said to Brandon as I snuck a glance at Edward. He grinned shyly at me and I glanced back down to see what Brandon had unwrapped for me.

It was a new digital camera, specifically the one I had been testing at Best Buy the previous weekend.

"You bought me a new camera?" The wattage of my grin probably rivaled that of the Griswold's house at Christmastime, but I didn't care.

"I did," he said, pushing off the wall and coming over to me. He took the box from me and turned it over in his hands. "I saw you looking at it in the store and when you went out to make your phone call, I asked the sales guy about it. He assured me that it was one of the best on the market and that it should suit your needs. So I snuck it into the truck and stashed it in the backseat. I love how unobservant you are," he teased.

I scowled playfully at him while I ripped open the packaging and took out the shiny, black camera. After inserting the batteries and the memory card Edward had also purchased, I pressed the 'on' button and the camera came to life.

"Can I see, LaLa? Can I see?" Brandon was jumping up and down at my side, pulling my arm down so he could see the screen. I squatted down beside him and let him watch the screen as I zoomed in and out and scrolled through the menu. Edward sat in a chair, reading from the manual and telling me about the special options I could use.

"Oh, here's the one I want," I said when I discovered a button on the back. I sat the camera on the countertop and aimed it toward where Edward was sitting. I directed Brandon over to Edward, who pulled him onto one of his legs. I pressed the timer button and scurried over to them to get settled before the ten seconds was up. Edward pulled me down on his other leg and wrapped his arm around me, genuine smiles plastered on our faces just as the shutter released and captured our moment in time.

**~ D ~**

The sky that afternoon was overcast and I was afraid it was going to rain all day. Luckily, we caught a break and the kids were able to enjoy their time on the playground. At the moment, Brandon was chasing after Lily. She fled from him, a delighted smile on her face as she weaved in and out of the playground equipment.

While I watched from the inside as I set up the cake and decorations, Brandon ran up to where Edward stood with my dad and dragged him by the hand toward the equipment. I chuckled as he pushed Brandon on the swings and caught him as he flew down the twisty slide.

"Wow, Bella, he's truly one of a kind, isn't he?" Angela stood at the opposite end of the table, helping me spread out the plastic tablecloths across the tables.

"He is almost too good to be true, I keep waiting for him to tell him he has fifty love children tucked away somewhere or three wives back in Chicago."

"I don't think that's going to happen. You are just really, really lucky. Tanya's still fuming over her lack of opportunity with him." We both laughed but quieted down as more people started to file into the room.

Most everyone stayed outside with their children, but Esme and Rosalie came inside, one right after the other, trying to volunteer their services for decorating. I was busy arranging gifts on the table when Rose's voice cut through the quiet air.

"Who. Is. That?"

We all hurried over to the window where Rosalie stood stone still. Following her line of vision, I saw Jasper's girlfriend standing off to the side, her bright pink, mile-long acrylics tapping away at her phone while Jasper pushed Brandon on a swing.

If I had my guess, though, that wasn't what Rose was so appalled about. It was more likely the up-to-there denim skirt she was wearing with thigh-high black boots and her see-through white shirt. _At a four-year-old's birthday party._

"Classy," Esme commented.

I looked over at her and burst out laughing.

"Yeah, she sure is. No worries about having to interact with her though. She's permanently attached to her phone."

"Oh good. Slutty and juvenile. Jasper sure can pick 'em, can't he?" Rosalie sneered.

Although I knew Rosalie only meant that about the piece of work outside, I couldn't help but feel as though she was taking a small dig at my sister. I caught myself before I could say anything in Alice's defense. It was instinct to protect your loved ones. Even if she had been talking about Alice, it was deserved.

An hour later everyone gathered in the room, anxious to see the birthday boy blow out his candles. He grinned happily as the large crowd sang and clapped when the smoke billowed up from the four blue candles. After devouring his piece of Spiderman cake, he tore through his presents, only stopping long enough to thank the guests and gift givers after being prompted by me.

Edward stood off to the side, snapping pictures as I had directed him to do.

"I kind of like it when you get all feisty and bossy," he had said earlier when I shoved the camera in his hands.

I blushed, but only after I stood on my tip-toes and whispered a few promises in his ear that made him groan quietly.

Overall, the party ended up being a success. Other than the woman that looked like she was the main attraction at a bachelor party, everyone seemed in good spirits and got along. I even saw my dad speak to Jasper once.

I was standing off to the side, watching the crowd mingle and fawn over the herd of kids, when I felt the warmth of strong arms wrapping around my waist from behind.

"Looks like a success," he observed. His mouth was dangerously close to my ear and the timber of his voice sent shivers down my spine. "So what about those earlier promises?" he asked.

"Oh, Mr. Cullen, you'll have to wait until much later. Look at this mess I have to clean up," I said as I gestured toward the balled up wrapping paper and plate-covered tables. I turned in his arms and laid my head on his chest as the exhaustion settled in.

"Would it happen any faster if I helped you clean up?" Looking up, I couldn't help but laugh at the grin on his face.

"Maybe. How about you let me see your cleaning skills and I'll see how quick I can get Brandon into bed tonight?" I backed out of his arms and started to sashay away, but turned at the last minute.

"Then later, I could go for a foot massage. It is my birthday, after all. You're supposed to take care of me," I said playfully.

He walked over to where I stood, grabbed my hand and brought it up to his mouth. He placed a kiss on the inside of my wrist and whispered, "Oh, Miss Swan, I intend to do just that."

**~ D ~**

"Brandon, what are you going to do with all of this stuff?" I asked as I looked in the back seat where toys and bags were piled up against him. In my mind, I could already see all those little cars and 'super hero weapons' scattered across my living room.

"I'm gonna put it in my room, LaLa," he replied joyfully.

The birthday party had been a success in his eyes and nothing could spoil his sugar high. He had been loved and doted on all day long, so now he wanted to get home so he could rip open those boxes and tear into his new possessions.

I turned back around just as Edward pulled the car into my driveway. I glanced to the porch and instantly froze when I saw the figure on the swing.

"Edward," I said quietly. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"I need you to pull all the way around and take Brandon in through the back door."

"Why?" He asked as he glanced over at me. He followed my line of vision and immediately understood. "Is that who I think it is?"

When I nodded, his expression turned grim and disapproving, but he did as I asked without further question. I jumped out and helped Brandon out of his seat, quickly ushering him in as Edward grabbed a handful of toys out of the back.

"You'll be okay?" he asked. I nodded and gave him a peck on the cheek.

The walk back down the driveway seemed like it took forever, when in reality, it only took about ten seconds. I rounded the walkway and climbed the few steps. When I stopped in front of the swing, I wanted nothing more than to kick its occupant.

She was sprawled out across the bench, snoring softly. Her hair was jet black, a drastic change from its natural sandy brown. It was sticking up all over her head in two inch chunks, no doubt the result of a drunken dare.

Her black sunglasses hung precariously on her nose, dangling to one side. Underneath all of that caked on make-up, smeared lipstick and slutty clothing, was the sister I once looked up to and admired. The same over protective big sister that taught me how to apply eye shadow and threatened to whip Jane White's ass when she made fun of me in seventh grade.

And now here she was, a sad, pathetic excuse for a sister, a daughter and mother. Our own mother would have been heartbroken with disappointment.

Channeling my frustration with her into one swift kick, I let my foot hit the swing with as much strength as I could muster. She startled awake and sat up quickly, disoriented and shocked. When her focus fell on me, she beamed and moved to engulf me in a hug. I shot out my hands, ignoring her instant pout, and stood my ground.

"Alice, I don't care where you go, but you can't stay here."

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><p><strong>You knew it was coming. Reviews aren't better than snuggling with Edward at a kid's birthday party, but I still love to hear what you think.<strong>


	14. Interruption

**Sorry for the delay. Thanks to the usuals, EmDempster and EllisBell725. **

**I feel the need to put an extra disclaimer in this chapter that will apply through the rest of the story. I'm claiming artistic license on some of this legal stuff. Laws vary state to state, so some of these things will be what's applicable where I live…and some of it may just be made up. I'll try to keep it as accurate as possible but forgive me if it's off, okay? Okay.**

**P.S. I've been told to issue a "Low Edward Warning", LOL. He's not mentioned much in this chapter.**

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><p>"Well, hello to you too, Bella," Alice sneered.<p>

"Cut the crap, Alice. You were supposed to be home a week and a half ago. Did you come by bus?" She shook her head. "How the hell did you get here, then? And where is the money I deposited into your account for the ticket?"

"Chill out, Bella. I caught a ride back from Arizona. And your money … well … see, I owed this guy some and-"

"Just stop right there," I said as I held up my hand. "I don't want to hear your excuses. I'm tired of them and I'm tired of this."

"Tired of what, Bella?" Alice asked sarcastically.

"This, Alice! You breezing into town whenever _you _feel like it or coming to see Brandon whenever _you_ start feeling bad about abandoning him!"

"I didn't abandon him, Bella! He was taken from me!"

"And you've had every opportunity to clean yourself up so you can get him back! But have you? No! You're too busy drinking, snorting, and whoring around! Never mind that you have a child that barely recognizes you and doesn't even care that you're absent from his life. But you know, maybe that's for the best. He doesn't need to know you." She stared me down as I yelled at her, but I could see her defiance wavering so I took one last shot.

"Mom would have been so disappointed in you, Alice." Those words clearly broke her and she ducked her head as she tried to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

"This wouldn't be happening if Mom was here," she said quietly.

I nodded in agreement. "You're damn right it wouldn't."

The sound of her sniffles was drowned out by the roaring of a truck engine as my dad pulled into my driveway. Alice's arrival had completely distracted me from my previous plans, yet Dad was right on schedule with the pizza he had promised to bring over, saving me from having to cook after such a busy day.

"Shit," I whispered when I saw his eyes go wide and then narrow at the site of Alice. He jumped out of the truck and stomped around to open Sue's door and help her with the pizza boxes.

"We're just going to go in the back door," he called out as he practically shoved a wide-eyed Sue up the driveway. I wasn't surprised that he ignored Alice;, he was still incredibly bitter about her actions.

"Yeah, that's fine. Edward and Brandon are inside."

"Gee! Hi, Dad. Great to see you, too," Alice called out sarcastically as he started walking away. He paused and I saw him roll his shoulders. Leaning over to whisper something in Sue's ear, he placed the boxes in her hand and pointed in the direction of my back door. Once she rounded the corner of the house he turned on his heels and marched over to where we stood in the yard.

"Alice, it's nice to see you're alive. To what do we owe the honor of your presence?" He was trying to remain calm but I could see his face turning red, a sure sign that his blood pressure was up and the infamous Swan temper was brewing underneath his calm facade.

"It's my son's birthday, Dad. It's not like I'd miss that." Alice crossed her arms and glared, seemingly appalled that he would even _think_ that she'd miss such a monumental occasion. Her reaction was almost funny.

"Ha!" My dad's laugh sounded almost maniacal. "That's good to know, Alice. I'm sure you'll be first in line to sign up for the bake sale at school, too."

He shook his head and looked back at me.

"We'll be inside." He cut his eyes once more in the direction of his other daughter and headed toward the back of the house.

"He's just a ray of sunshine, isn't he?" Alice scowled in the direction my dad walked. "So, anyway, are you going to let me in to see Brandon or can you bring him out?"

I sighed in frustration and resignation as I rubbed the bridge of my nose with the pads of my fingers.

"Look, Alice, Brandon has had a really good day and I'm not going to let you ruin it. Besides, you need to check in with your probation officer and I need to call Ms. Cope before you can see him."

Her eyes grew wide in astonishment. "Are you serious?" she cried.

"Absolutely, Alice." I held my ground as her eyes darted from me to the door of the house. "You really don't want to try to go in there without my permission, do you? With the Chief of Police inside?"

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "God, don't be dramatic, Bella. I've waited this long. I guess it won't hurt to wait a few more days," she said, clearly frustrated but resigned.

"Just give him this, okay? Will you tell him it's from me?" She dug a small bag out from the black duffel sitting on the swing and shoved it into my hand. After gathering her things, she started down the steps. Cue the guilt.

"Do you have a place to stay tonight, Alice?"

"I'll figure something out. I always do. Don't worry about me." She strode down the walkway and was on the drive when she called back to me. "I'll be in touch with you after I've contacted my probation officer. Oh, and happy birthday to you, too. Sorry I couldn't get you anything."

"You gave me the only present I'll ever need four years ago, Alice. But thanks."

She nodded hesitantly and turned to continue her path toward the street. I watched her until she disappeared out of sight behind a line of trees.

Glancing down at the bag in my hand, I unwrapped the wadded up plastic from where it was wound around the hard square item inside. Peeking in, I saw a red Etch-A-Sketch and pulled it out. It was old and a little beat up around the edges, no doubt something she had picked up secondhand at a thrift store or garage sale, but it was clean and the sentiment behind it was what mattered.

Alice had adored her Etch-A-Sketch as a child and I remember seeing her carry it wherever she went. There were many fights between the two of us because she would never let me play with it. It was clear that she hoped Brandon would enjoy the toy as much as she had.

My memories quickly turned to aggravating frustration when I realized there was no way I could possibly let her wander the streets all night or do something unconscionable just to have a place to lay her head. Regardless of how irresponsible or foolish she acted, she was still my sister.

I turned and banged on the front door until my dad came and unlocked it, wide-eyed yet unsurprised by the pissed off look on my face.

"Brandon," I called out as I entered the hall. He flew out of his room and skidded to a stop in front of me. "You got another present." I handed him the Etch-A-Sketch, which he took and gave a funny look.

"What is it, LaLa?" I bent down and explained to him how to maneuver the white plastic knobs as the black line stretched across the gray screen. "Oh, 'dis is cool, LaLa. Who gived it to me?"

"Who _gave_ it to you, Brandon. And it was your mommy."

"Oh. Is she here?" He leaned up and peered around me to see if he could spot her in the room.

"No, not right now. She had some things she had to do. But hopefully you'll see her soon, okay?"

He nodded but was paying me no attention as it was all focused on his new toy. He slowly turned and headed back into his room, his actions and nonchalance speaking volumes about his regards toward his mom. I wished Alice could've witnessed it so she could see just how much her absence had affected the bond between her and her child. He couldn't care less whether she was around or not.

I walked into the kitchen to find Edward propped against the counter talking to Dad and Sue.

"Can you guys stay with Brandon while I take care of something?" My words were clipped and I knew I sounded pissed off.

"Everything alright?" Edward looked at me worriedly.

"Yeah…just…yeah." I stopped digging through my purse for my keys and took a deep breath. "She has nowhere to go and I can't bear the thought of her going to one of her 'friends' around town looking for a place to stay. So, I'm going to take her to a hotel."

"She can take care of herself," Dad grumbled. The irritation that had been brewing beneath the surface all day bubbled to the top and my father became the target.

"I'm sure she can, Dad. But I'm not going to sleep soundly tonight trying to block out mental images of what she had to do to get a place to sleep. How about you, Dad? Do want to spend the rest of the evening lying awake in bed, wondering if she whored herself out when you have a perfectly good extra bedroom you could offer?" I paused, but only briefly. "Didn't think so."

Edward's hands came up to my shoulders and he rubbed them, trying to quietly calm me down. But my Dad's face grew red and he started trembling with anger. I wasn't certain whether it was aimed at me or Alice, but I knew my words were what had set him off.

"You listen to me, Isabella Marie. I have tried and tried to help her out, but she refuses to do anything except what she wants to do. Besides, I have no doubt that I'll see her later tonight when she gets picked up at some junkie's house in the middle of another bust. That's how it always goes, isn't it?" He asked mockingly.

Sue stood and put her hand on his shoulder, mirroring Edward's actions and trying to calm her significant other down.

"It sure does, Dad. And that's what I'm trying to prevent." I snatched my purse and whirled around to face Edward.

"You'll be okay?" I asked. His forehead creased as he nodded and reached up to gently stroke my cheek. I leaned into his palm, momentarily calmed by his gentle action. He had never seen me angry, and I could tell he was keeping his distance so as to not fall prey to my wrath. I sighed deeply and glanced at my father, whose expression had changed from irritation to sadness, and headed out the door.

**~ D ~**

I spotted Alice about a mile down the road and pulled alongside her.

"Get in," I said out the window. She didn't argue as she climbed into the passenger seat. I pulled away from the curb and drove down the road while the deafening silence surrounded us.

Five minutes later, we still had not spoken when I pulled into the parking lot of the Port Angeles Motor Inn. I left her in the car and went into the office. Mr. Green was behind the counter and greeted me by name. After a few moments of small talk about the new house I had sold them last fall, I rented Alice a room for the next two nights and he agreed to keep it open for the week in case she needed a few more.

I waved for her to follow me as I passed the car. She slowly climbed out with her backpack and walked behind me as I led the way to the door with the brass '3' on it.

"Here we are," I commented as I opened the door with the key and flipped the light on. Alice walked across the threshold and sat her bag on the floral comforter. I lingered in the doorway.

"I'll come by and pick you up Monday morning at nine o'clock sharp. I'll take you to the courthouse so you can talk to your probation officer. In the meantime, I'll call Ms. Cope and see what she thinks about you seeing Brandon. If she thinks it would be okay to let you see him, I'll come by tomorrow at noon and pick you up. If not, I'll see you Monday."

I turned to walk out the door but stopped when I heard her speak.

"Thank you," she said simply.

I turned my head, nodded and said the one thing I was sure she was waiting to hear. "He loved the gift." I looked at her pointedly and a grin lit up her face.

If only she could love him that much all the time.

**~ D ~**

I called Shelley Saturday night and asked her to have breakfast with me at the diner Sunday morning for a quick meeting about Alice and Brandon. When they learned of my planned meeting, Edward and Dad arranged for an impromptu fishing trip to keep Brandon occupied.

I wished I had gotten someone to babysit Alice. I was worried that she would up and disappear again since she couldn't see Brandon right away.

"Where is she staying?" Shelley asked as she stirred sugar into her coffee.

"I put her up in the Port Angeles Motor Inn."

"Hmmm." She added creamer to her coffee and stirred again. "How does she seem mentally? Strung out or high?"

"I don't think so. But she could have been hiding it well."

I blew out a frustrated breath and scrubbed my eyes with my hands. I was exhausted from the lack of sleep the previous night and stressed out about the entire mess.

When I had arrived back home after getting Alice settled, Edward was helping Brandon build a tower of Legos while my Dad looked on. Brandon was preoccupied with the leaning tower of blocks, so I motioned for Dad to follow me into the kitchen. As soon as we stepped through the door, we started talking over one another as we apologized. I hated that he had caught the brunt of my anger when it had nothing to do with him. He had always been a very supportive and loving father and grandfather. Alice just couldn't be a willing enough receiver of his affection, so he had since cut her off completely.

Edward stayed with me well into the night, providing the comforting presence I need from him. It was enough to calm my frazzled nerves, but I finally had to send him home after he fell asleep on the couch, mouth wide open and snoring softly. I wanted him to stay the night but with everything going on I knew it wasn't good idea. Honestly, I wasn't sure how I felt about him spending the night when Brandon was home anyway.

"You look like you could use some rest yourself," Shelley observed, forcing me from my thoughts.

"I didn't sleep very well last night."

"I imagine not," she mumbled as the waitress showed up to our table to deliver breakfast. Silence settled over us as I poked around my plate and took small bites of egg.

"So what do you think?" I finally asked. "Can she see him?"

"Frankly, Bella, I would strongly advise against it," she replied sternly. I nodded, resigned to the fact that delivering the news to Alice would probably cause another fight between us. "However, in this instance, I'm going to leave it up to you. I'd say consult his father, but I imagine that would only cause quite a stir and technically, you have guardianship of him."

"So, it's up to me?" She nodded. "Great. I really wanted you to make this decision," I teased half-heartedly. Her stern expression grew soft.

"I know it isn't easy. As much as you despise the things she has done, I know you don't want to hurt her. Underneath it all, she's still your sister. But it's your job to do what's best for Brandon. Do you think it would traumatize him to visit with her even if she runs off again?"

"Probably not. He didn't even acknowledge that the gift she left for him was from his mommy."

She hmm'd thoughtfully. "Well, you could let her have a supervised visitation, I suppose. See how it goes and then go from there. She might get her little tail thrown in jail tomorrow anyway for skipping her color-coding. I checked his file and she missed it a week ago."

"Great," I muttered. "I guess it couldn't hurt then. I'll take them to the park or something. Maybe Edward could come with us just in case I need some help….or reinforcement," I wondered out loud.

"Good idea," she agreed. "How is the handsome new beau anyway? You two have kept our little gossip mill busy, busy lately." She smirked behind the rim of her coffee cup as she brought it to her lips.

Leave it to her to mention Edward and cheer me up when my mood is in the pits.

"He's wonderful," I gushed quietly. "Truly, truly wonderful."

It was hard to contain the smile that spread across my face at the mention of him, even while dealing with this crappy situation.

"That's great to hear. You deserve someone who is good to you and that little boy." She sat the cup down and her expression grew serious. "Bella, I do want to say something about Brandon." I nodded for her to continue, my stomach uneasy at her tone.

"I know you were trying to give your sister all the chances in the world and I would be lying if I said it's not my job to try to place the children back with their biological parents. However, I think in Brandon's case, if Alice disappears again, you should really consider making his situation with you permanent. It wouldn't take much to have her rights terminated."

"I know, Shelley," I replied quietly. "I told her a few weeks ago that this was her last chance and I meant it. I just hope that maybe she's here to stay this time. I don't ever want to give Brandon up, but I at least want his mother to _try_ to be part of his life."

"I commend you for that, but I don't want you to get your hopes up. We both know her track record," she said pointedly.

I sighed, nodding my agreement. I couldn't disagree. She only voiced the same thought that had been running through my head since I saw Alice on the porch - How long would she stick around?

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><p><strong>Reviews aren't better than Edward being a comfort to you in difficult times, but I still love to read them.<strong>

**A few things: Thanks to the lovely ladies of the Perv Pack's Smut Shack who reviewed Dandelion this week. It absolutely made my entire week, so thanks girls! If you'd like to read the review, I'll link it on my profile.**

**Also, thanks to whoever nominated Dandelion in the Tomato Soup Awards. Voting starts sometime next month, so I'll link that site on my profile also. I know there are a lot of fics that are much more awesome than my little story, but I appreciate the nomination.**


	15. Fade

**I'm SO sorry for the delay. Thanks to all of you for leaving me love and thanks for sticking with me through my updating fail. We're going to get back on a somewhat regular schedule. Thanks to the normal girls who make this pretty.**

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><p>"Thank you for coming with me … us … this morning," my mumble echoed through the quiet room.<p>

"You know there was no place else I'd have rather been. I just wish it had been a little more…hopeful…for Brandon's sake."

Edward tightened his hold on me where I lay snuggled into his side, dressed in just a pair of panties and a white t-shirt. It had been a week since I had been loved by him and after the stress of the day, I selfishly needed the physical release. He didn't seem to mind.

I glanced up to see him looking down at me as his finger made a lazy path up and down my forearm. Sighing, I closed my eyes and thanked whatever higher power sent him to me.

"You've been so good to us," I sighed.

"Hey," he said, coaxing me to look up at him. "You know there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Sincerity poured out of his words causing me to begin to tear up after such a stressful day. I closed my eyes and tried to rein in my emotions before they got the best of me as the scenes of the day replayed in my mind.

Alice had been waiting outside the door of her room when Edward, Brandon and I pulled in to pick her up. When Mr. Green had connected me to her room earlier this morning, she sounded like hell but had promised to be ready by ten o'clock.

She pushed off the wall and threw her cigarette down on the ground, stomping it out with her worn-out boot. Ripped jeans hung off her too thin hips and the hoodie she wore was three sizes too big. Her hair was flattened on one side from sleep and the dark sunglasses perched on her nose, even on such a dreary day, were an obvious attempt at hiding her bloodshot eyes from my scrutiny.

She was hungover.

She didn't say much when she climbed into the car, not even to Brandon.

"Hi, Mommy," he said quietly.

It had been more than four months since she had seen him, yet all he gave her was a quiet greeting. The action spoke volumes. He had always been so reserved with her, like he was afraid of her. Couldn't blame the kid.

"Hey, kiddo," was all he got in reply. Not a "Hi, sweetie!" or an "I've missed you". I glanced over and saw Edward roll his eyes and it hit me that the two of them hadn't actually met before.

"Alice, this is Edward. Edward, Alice."

"Nice to meet you, Alice," he said with more politeness than I knew he meant.

"Likewise."

She turned her focus to me and smirked a little. "Now I see what's been keeping you so busy lately. Nice score there, Bella." I ignored her and turned back around.

The duration of the ride was spent in silence.

Play time at the park was frustrating to watch. Brandon played to his little heart's content. Alice, however, sat on the bench and watched him. Not once did she attempt to get up and play with him, never encouraged his climbing and running, never even spoke to him unless he spoke to her first.

Edward and I hung back on a bench opposite of her, watching and waiting for her to engage Brandon in some sort of interaction. After she shot him down a couple of times, he gave up and started on Edward, who immediately indulged him without hesitation. I was furious.

"Alice," I hissed after stomping over to where she sat.

"Yeah?" Her focus never wavered from her phone screen, no doubt a disposable phone she had picked up somewhere. I knew I certainly didn't have the number for it.

"What the hell are you doing? I thought you wanted to spend time with Brandon?"

"I'm here. I'm spending time with him," she replied. "What more do you want, Bella?"

_I want you to step up and be the mother he needs. I want you to get your life in order. I want you to be the sister I once knew. And I want you to want these things, too. _

_But if you aren't going to do any of those things, I just want you to leave._

Those were the things I wanted to scream but couldn't. Instead, I shook my head and joined the boys.

We dropped Alice off at the motel an hour later and took Brandon to get ice cream. Her apathy didn't seem to affect him at all, but I wanted to make every effort to keep him happy, so Edward and I spent the rest of the day playing and cuddling and showing him lots of love and affection.

Tickling fingers along my ribcage brought me back to the present. As they traveled south and dragged along the exposed skin where my t-shirt had ridden up, I forced myself out of my wallowing to focus only on him. I felt the tip of Edward's fingers dip under the waistband of my panties just enough to awaken my lazing body.

"Thanks for the, uh, tension relief also." I waggled my eyebrows suggestively up at him, making him laugh loudly before he caught himself. We both grew very quiet, waiting and listening for any sounds coming from Brandon's room. After a minute or so, we both let out a deep breath and he slid down the bed so we were face to face.

"Anytime, Miss Swan. It's an excruciating job, but someone has to do it," he teased dramatically.

"Oh, really? Well, you know, I could always see if someone else could take on the daunting task. I mean-"

I was cut off when he quickly flipped us so that he was positioned between my legs, his hips and hands holding mine down.

"Absolutely not." He dipped his head down and starting nipping at my neck as his hips rolled into mine. I could feel his body readying itself for another round.

"Edward Cullen, if you give me a hickey, so help me, I'll-"

"What?" He asked as I felt a slight suction on my collar bone. "What will you do?"

"I'll make _you_ explain to Brandon why I have a bruise on my neck when he asks about it. Because you know he will."

He immediately stopped with the suction and went back to the light kisses.

"Fine, then. I'll just find some other way to mark my territory." His mouth trailed down lower on my burning skin to the valley between my breasts.

"Mark your territory? I'm not a dog!" Swatting at his bicep, I tried to look appalled when he glanced up at me.

"I know you aren't, but you've already marked yours. Your name is tattooed on the inside of my skin across my heart." He broke out into the goofiest grin I had ever seen as I covered my mouth with a pillow to keep my outburst of laughter contained. When I calmed down and uncovered my face, I could see him trying to hold back his own laughter.

"If you weren't trying to get laid right now, that would've been a little more believable. But please, whatever you do, never use that line again." He mock-gasped and grabbed his chest.

"That hurts, Bella. Right here," he pointed. "On my tattooed heart."

"I'm starting to worry about your sanity."

"I'm crazy all right….crazy about you," He punctuated his latest cheesiest-of-all-time line with a creepy wink and head nod.

"Oh my God, I'll do anything if you'll stop using those lines."

"Oh, really?" His voice quickly shifted from playful and teasing to soft and tempting. "Anything? This could get interesting." He resumed his path of kisses down my body. His hands gripped the underside of my thigh, his long fingers reaching around to explore and touch and tantalize. My cell phone starting ringing from my dresser but he didn't stop his motions.

"Ignore it," he commanded. I wasn't going to argue as long as those fingers keep at their task.

His head dipped a little lower…lower…and just as he was about to hit the holy land, my phone started ringing again. Edward's movements stilled. I glanced at my alarm clock and saw that it was past ten on a Sunday night. I had to see who it was.

"Edward."

"Let it ring," he pleaded, sounding like a petulant little boy.

"I can't do that," I laughed. He sighed deeply and rolled over to let me up. I leapt off the bed and over to the dresser, hoping it was someone I could just call back tomorrow. I didn't recognize the number and there was no voicemail, so I automatically thought of one person. My finger hovered over the screen momentarily before I tapped it, calling the number back. It rang three times before she finally answered.

"Bella! Hi, little sis!"

"Alice, what do you want? It's after ten. Where are you?" I could hear music in the background, loud enough that it almost drowned out Alice's voice. She must have stepped outside after she answered because when she spoke again, it was easier to hear.

"Do you know where Jasper lives? I wanted to go see him so we could…catch up."

"No, Alice, I don't know where he lives nor do I think that's a good idea. Go back to your room and sober up. Where are you anyway?"

I knew there was a sleazy little bar down the street from the Inn. I had picked Alice up from there too many times to count. I wished I had thought of that before I set her up in that particular area of town.

"The lodge?" She answered it like a question.

"The lodge, Alice? That's across town. How did you get there?"

"I caught a ride with some truck driver. He was nice. Wanted a little too much for the ride, in my opinion. I don't think he's here anymore," she said in a far-off voice as though she was holding the receiver away from her head while looking around the room. "Nope. He's gone."

"How are you going to get back?"

"Dunno. Guess I'll catch another ride. So, Jasper? You don't know where he is?"

"No, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. He's different nowadays, Alice, and you know how you two affect each other. Brandon is happy getting to spend time with his dad, so I'm not taking the chance of you compromising that."

"My God, Bella, you're so high and mighty these days."

"When it comes to Brandon, I have to be."

"Whatever. Can you come get me? I need to go back to the room and sleep. I'm so tired."

"You want me to come get you? At this hour? You do realize that would mean I would have to get Brandon up, right? Do you ever think of anyone but yourself, Alice?"

"Whatever, Bella. I'll find a way home. There are a few other guys in here. I'm sure I can work something out with one of them."

"Alice, no. Just…don't do that." I shot a pleading look in Edward's direction and covered the mouthpiece of the phone.

"Can you stay here with Brandon while I run out for twenty minutes?"

"Sure," he replied with a heavy sigh. He was none too happy about the interruption, not that I could blame him.

"I'll be there in ten minutes, Alice. Be on the lookout for me. I don't want to have to come in there."

I hung up before she could respond and grabbed my jeans.

"I'm sorry." His expression was unreadable and I was afraid that he felt like I was always pushing him away. I jerked on my jeans and a sweatshirt before crawling up the bed. He was still gloriously naked under the sheets.

"Stay just like that. I'll be right back and we can finish what we started."

"Mmmhmm. I have school tomorrow. I should probably just head home when you get back."

_No, no, no! I want to snuggle with you and wake up to your scruff and see those gorgeous eyes in the first morning light._

"What time do you normally get up?"

"Five thirty. Why?"

"Stay here. You can be up and out of here by the time Brandon wakes up. He'll never know."

Those words broke through his stone exterior and a grin slowly spread across his face. He relaxed beneath me.

"How very scandalous of you, Miss Swan." He swatted my behind. "Hurry back." A quick peck and I was out the door.

When I arrived back twenty-three minutes later, after threatening Alice's life and reminding her that I would be by the pick her up at eight a.m., Edward was sprawled out across my bed fast asleep. He looked so peaceful that I couldn't bear to wake him. I stripped down and cautiously climbed into bed with him. He only stirred enough to move over and wrap his arm around my waist.

I sighed and gently placed my hand on his face, the slight scruff tickling my palms. His lips parted and slightly poked out when I made contact with his skin, making me grin in response. I wanted nothing more than to wake him up and love him all night, but I knew he was tired and he looked so peaceful. Instead, I chose to snuggle up next to him and enjoy the feel of his body next to mine. Next to him, all of my anxiety and fears seemed to disappear and I could completely relax.

**~ D ~**

"You know that you violated your probation, right?" Alice's probation officer, Sam Uley, sat behind his desk eyeing her disapprovingly.

"Yes, sir." The unfamiliar meek sound of her voice carried through the small, quiet room, joining only the ticking of the clock that sat on the dusty mantle behind his chair. My sister was an amazingly convincing actress when she needed to be.

"Alice, this is not the first time either."

"I know. I'll do better," she pleaded. "I want to work things out. I'm going to try to get my life in order." It was everything I could do to keep from scoffing. I would've believed her more if I hadn't witnessed her massive hangover the day before.

"I'm glad to hear that. That's why I'm giving you two options." He shifted around some folders on his desk, lifting the corners up as he searched for something. He produced a pamphlet from under a stack of papers and slid it to the edge of the desk in front of Alice.

"Volturi Rehab?" Her nose curled up into a sneer as she unfolded the thick paper.

I leaned over to have a look myself and wanted to laugh at the cheesy captured photos of group therapy and smiling people that were scattered throughout the advertisement. They tried to make this rehab place look like a summer camp.

"And my other option?" she asked as she threw the pamphlet back on the desk. Sam leaned back in his chain and looked directly into her eyes.

"Jail."

The glare she shot across the desk at him would have melted a steel ball. She snatched the pamphlet back off the table and started reading it again.

"When would I have to go?" She asked reluctantly.

"As soon as possible. You need to line up transportation to the facility. The staff will fax me confirmation once you've checked in. Once you have completed the sixty-day program, they'll re-evaluate you to determine if you need to stay longer."

"Is it voluntary?" My eyes shot to her at the question. I knew the answer but was hoping Sam would tell her otherwise.

"Well, yes. But remember, either you complete a rehab program or you go to jail for six months. Your pick."

"I can take you Friday after I drop Brandon off with Jasper," I spoke up. Anything to get her to out of my hair until she was sobered up.

Betrayal flashed across her face before an eerie grin overtook the emotion.

"Sure. I'll go. My little sister will bring me Friday evening."

I had no idea what idea inside her head was behind that menacing grin, but I had a feeling I should've kept my mouth shut.

**~ D ~**

When we left the probation office, I swung by the diner so we could grab a quick bite to eat. I had to drop Alice off at her room and meet my next appointment for a listing in an hour and a half, so I was pressed for time and knew their service would be quick.

Alice suddenly had a bounce in her step which worried me. It often meant some malicious plan was being plotted by her.

She was all smiles as she sashayed up the walk to the front door of the diner. We were climbing the steps as a familiar voice rang out over the tinkle of the bell hanging on the door. The gentleman standing at the threshold looked shocked but quickly recovered his typical grimace.

"Well, well, look what we have here. Bella, how are you?" He asked smugly as his eyes darted back and forth between me and Alice.

"I'm good, Mr. Stanley. How are you? Feeling okay lately?" Professional smile in place, I tried to engage him in conversation so as to divert his attention from my sister.

"Doing well, except this arthritis is kicking in today." He was finished with me, though, and turned to address Alice. I could see this going downhill fast. "Nice to see you made it back into town, Alice. How's the world treating you? Better yet, how are you treating the world?"

"Oh, just fine, Mr. Stanley. In fact, I treated your grandson realllly well before I left town," she purred suggestively. "How's he doing?"

I had never seen Arthur Stanley turn such a shade of red before. His weathered face quickly recovered from the shock and turned angry. His pointer finger stuck out in her direction, but before he could start screaming at her and causing a scene, I pushed her through the door.

"Nice seeing you, Mr. Stanley," I called out as the door shut in his face. I watched him shoot daggers at Alice through the glass door before he hobbled down the steps with his cane, his lips moving in what was probably a string of muttered curses for my hussy sister.

"My God, Alice," I muttered.

She laughed gleefully as I shook my head in embarrassment.

"Oh, come on, Bella. Lighten up. Mr. Stanley hates me. You know it, I know it. Hell, the whole town knows it." The waitress interrupted us to get our orders and disappeared once she had them.

"That doesn't mean you to have to engage him in some kind of standoff, Alice. Jesus, you know how that man gossips."

"I know, but I don't care. You shouldn't either."

"Well, unlike some people, I do worry about my reputation. It's kind of a lifeline in my business, Alice."

She shrugged and grabbed her Coke as it was placed on the table.

"Whatever. Listen, I've got a full schedule the rest of the week." That might have been a tiny lie, but I couldn't spend the week entertaining her. She had only been here two days and I was ready to punch her in the face. "Can you take care of yourself until Friday?"

"Of course I can, Bella," she scoffed. _Yeah, like you took care of yourself last night?_

"Good. I'll pick you up on Friday afternoon and we'll head to Seattle."

"You'll pick me up before you drop off Brandon, right?" I stared at her until I realized what little plan she had in store for Friday afternoon. "I mean, I'd like to tell him goodbye before I'm gone for a couple of months."

"Really? Did you do that the other twenty times you disappeared?"

"Give me a break, Bella. You're so melodramatic."

"Yeah, sure. Fine, Alice. I'll pick you up on the way to drop off Brandon. I'm sure this has nothing to do with you wanting to see Jasper."

She never denied or acknowledged my accusation. She just grinned and ate her cheeseburger.

**~ D ~**

This was a bad idea. I knew it had been a bad idea when Alice asked me to pick her up before I dropped off Brandon. When I had talked to Edward and told him of the plans, he also told me it was a bad idea, before insisting on riding with me to Seattle and back. And now he was nervously glancing at me from inside the car with Brandon and watching the scene play out before us.

When we had arrived at the meeting place, Jasper was propped up against his car waiting for us. I glanced at Alice in the rearview mirror and saw a smile spread across her face. He was like her own brand of heroin. She just couldn't let him go.

He, on the other hand, grew visibly nervous when she stepped out of the car behind me. As she strode across the empty space, the passenger door of his car flew open and I saw a familiar brunette quickly scramble out and realized why Jasper was suddenly twitchy.

_Oh, shit, this is going to be bad._

Alice stopped dead in her tracks and the smile melted from her face. When Maria slid up next to Jasper and snuggled up into his side, Alice's expression turned to one of murder. And when she started moving again, this time with a violent purpose, I had to intervene.

"Wait!" I called at the same time Alice screamed, "Fucking Maria Ramos, Jasper? Are you kidding me?"

"Alice, not here." I ran up to restrain her just as she reached them.

"She's a whore, Jasper! And she only wants you for your money! Don't you remember what she did to Laurent? Where is he now, huh? Locked up!"

"I'm a whore?" Maria cried out. "Look in the mirror, honey." There were head-rolls and finger snaps and I was afraid somewhere people were hidden and catching this all on camera. I wouldn't mind being famous, but I'd rather it not be because I was on an episode of Jerry Springer.

The sassing between the two women continued until Jasper jumped in front of Maria and while she still had her ridiculously long neon-pink fingernail shoved in Alice's direction, he managed to silence her and coax her back in the car. I didn't like the guy, but he sure knew how to calm these girls down.

I glanced back to the car and saw Edward eyeing the situation while he talked to Brandon who was within the safe confines of the car.

"Alice, I don't want to fight with you. I just want to pick up Brandon. Bella?"

"Yeah, okay. Alice, come on."

"You better watch your ass, Jasper Whitlock. You know what she's after as much as I do."

"Bye, Alice," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

She stalked back to the car and slammed the door just as I was getting Brandon out. Edward climbed out and propped up against the car as I walked Brandon across the space to his dad. Just as we were about to reach him, he stopped me.

"Wait, LaLa! I forgotted to give Ehwurd a hug!" He let go of my hand and darted back to where Edward stood, wrapping his little arms around thick legs until Edward lowered to the ground and caught him in a hug. The scene before me made me grin like a loon in spite of all the recent drama, but when I turned to catch a glance of Jasper, it was obvious the feeling was not shared by him.

"Brandon," he called out harshly. I shot him a glare but he ignored me and kept his eyes trained on Brandon. Edward looked up at the gruff sound at Jasper's voice with an arched eyebrow. Leaning into Brandon, he said something quietly as his eyes glanced back and forth to Brandon's wide ones and Jasper's hate-filled ones. Brandon visibly relaxed, nodded and threw his arms around Edward's neck. He ran over and gave me a tight hug and big kiss before heading to his father's waiting car.

Jasper gave a short, "See you Sunday," before climbing in and zooming out of the lot. He could bank on us having a talk on Sunday.

As much as I wanted to lay into Alice about her behavior on the way to Seattle, I halted my attack when I saw her crying silently in the backseat from my review mirror. The encounter with Jasper had affected her enough and I wasn't one to add insult to injury.

She never spoke a word as we made the two and a half hour trip to the facility. Even as we checked her in and filled out all the appropriate paperwork, she only answered when asked a question. When I tried to hug her before they took her back, she remained stoic and didn't make any attempt to return the affection.

And as I said my final goodbye and added, "See you soon," her returning eyeroll and the wave of her hand in dismissal told me all I needed to know.

She would never complete the program.

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><p><strong>If you donated to the Fandom for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society fundraiser, there is an outtake from Edward and Bella's first date from his point of view. If you haven't donated and want to do so, you can go to fandom4lls (dot) blogspot (dot) com and get the information there. You'll receive a lovely compilation of one-shots and outtakes for your donation.<strong>

**Also, in case you missed it I posted Alice's outtake from another fandom fundraiser under the title "Weeds" on my profile. This is where I will be posting other outtakes from Dandelion from time to time.**

**Thanks for reading! Hugs and kisses to you all.**


	16. Root

Just as suspected, I received a call from Sam two weeks later informing me that Alice had checked herself out of rehab. I wasn't surprised, but I was still pissed.

Luckily, I had not heard from her and by the time the following Friday rolled around, I had put it out of my mind and focused on my main objective for the weekend while Brandon was at his Dad's – Edward.

With all that had transpired in the previous weeks with Alice and her issues, I knew he had been neglected. He never uttered a complaint nor had anything changed in our relationship, but I knew that after all he had endured with my family in the short time we had been together, he deserved a little uninterrupted attention.

At the usual meeting spot, Brandon said his goodbyes and dutifully climbed into Jasper's waiting car. When he was safely strapped inside, Jasper rounded the back of the car and stopped in front of me.

"Everything good?" I asked warily.

"Yeah, I'm good," he replied. "A little more relaxed than the last drop-off. I'm sorry for my shitty attitude last time toward Brandon. I realized that I was in the wrong for being harsh with him and I'm going to talk to him about it this weekend."

The previous weekend upon the return of Brandon, I confronted Jasper about his demeanor toward Brandon and Edward's relationship. He simply shrugged it off as having a bad day and dealing with Alice and Maria. However, I knew there was more to it.

We left it at me advising him to watch his attitude. Brandon adored Edward and while I knew that not much could change that, I didn't want to take the chance of his Dad influencing him in any way regarding Edward.

I nodded my acknowledgment of his apology and watched as he got in the driver's side.

"If you need me for any reason, I'll probably be at home all weekend. See you Sunday around lunchtime?" I asked.

He nodded and waved me off, shut the door and sped out of the lot. His behavior lately was beginning to bother me, giving me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I cleared my head and pushed it aside, climbing into my car while making a mental list of things I need to pick up at the store. I had other things I needed to focus on for that evening.

**~ D ~**

"Dinner was amazing. Thank you."

"You're welcome," I said through giggles. It was hard to contain my laughter while he was pushing up my shirt and kissing my belly. "Are you trying to start a workout to burn off that third helping you ate?"

"Why, yes. Yes I am. Actually, I may need two or three rounds. That strawberry cake needs to be worked out also. I have to keep my figure after all." He kissed a path up my stomach to the valley between my breasts. I sank back into the couch cushions and weaved my fingers through his hair, sighing instead of laughing this time because my focus had changed and the sensations I felt weren't exactly funny.

As his lips reached mine, the arm wrapped underneath my lower back pulled me flush to his chest. He maneuvered us into a sitting position with me straddled over his lap, somehow effectively removing my jeans in the process.

His hand slid down the skin over my ribcage and dipped into the lace of my panties. As his fingers found what they were looking for and began to tease in the most delicious way, the familiar ring of my phone came from the kitchen area where I had left my purse.

"I…oh." His mouth attacked the skin beneath my neck while his hands played down below, completely distracting me from the ringing phone…until it rang again.

"Edward," I panted. "I need to make sure that isn't Jasper calling about Brandon." He stilled immediately, blowing out a puff of air after a moment.

"Of course. Sorry. Go," he said as he gently pushed me off his lap. I bent down and pecked him on the lips quickly.

"Be right back."

I flew into the kitchen and dug my phone out of my purse, unlocking and tapping the screen to check my missed calls. There were two from the same number, but it wasn't Jasper nor was it a local area code. I tossed it on the end table when I returned to the living room before pouncing on Edward and resuming our previous activities.

Just as he had laid me back on the couch and started to rid me of the rest of my pesky clothes, the phone started ringing again.

"I'm two seconds away from taking a sledgehammer to that damn phone," he growled. I giggled and reached over to grab it. I almost silenced it and turned it off, but after seeing the same number that had called the previous two times, curiosity got the best of me and I answered.

"Bella! Hi, seeesterrrr!" she slurred.

I should've let Edward use the sledgehammer.

"What do you want, Alice? And where are you? I know you aren't still in Seattle."

"Pfffft, no," she scoffed. "What a drag that place was. I met a guy there though – James - and we drove to Mississippi. It's awesome down here, Bella! Everyone is so friendly!" she said gleefully, as if she didn't have a care in the world, much less an impending arrest waiting for her here.

"You know there's a warrant for your arrest, right?" Her happy mood was making me angry. I wanted to squash it like a bug.

"Eh, they won't come looking for me. I'll just lay low. So listen, I need a favor."

"Of course you do," I said as I rolled my eyes, catching Edward's before he focused his gaze somewhere else.

"Can you send me some money? We have nowhere to stay and nothing to eat."

"Are you serious, Alice?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes, I'm serious. Isn't it horrible? It's awful not knowing anyone who has a couch we can crash on."

"No, I'm asking are you serious about me giving you money?"

"Oh, well, of course. I can't just make it appear, Bella."

"Well, neither can I, Alice," I spoke through gritted teeth.

"Oh, don't give me that. I know you make good money. Your business ad is plastered all over the newspaper almost every day."

"Not enough to throw away on you, Alice. Plus, here's a newsflash…I have a child to take care of. _Your_ child!"

"Why are you always throwing that in my face, Bella? I didn't ask you to do it. You signed up for that yourself," she threw back at me.

"Alice, I'm not getting into this with you right now. Sorry. I have company."

"Oh, that's right. Go fuck your boyfriend while I starve and sleep in the car. Don't worry about little old me. I'll be fine. I'm sure James won't mind if I go blow a guy to earn a couple of bucks."

"Alice, quit with the dramatics. If you're going to stay there, get a real job. That's what everyone else in the world does. They get a job and earn a paycheck. They don't beg their little sisters for money."

She gasped on the other end and started sniffling.

"That's just cruel, Bella. After all the things I did for you when we were children, I can't believe you would treat me like this. So much for blood-"

"Fine, Alice!" I yelled to shut her up, momentarily resigned to the fact that I would probably have to support my sister for the rest of her life. "How much do you need?"

"Oh, yay! Thank you, Bella! I'll call you right back. Let me talk to James and see how much the motel is. Love you!" And she hung up.

I tapped the 'end' button on the screen and breathed deeply as I laid my phone on the table. My head turned in Edward's direction only to see him staring at me with a frown.

"Are you really going to give her money?" He asked quietly, head tilted to the side and brows drawn together.

"Yes, if it will keep her from calling and harassing me."

He let out a frustrated sigh and sat up, rubbing his hands roughly through his hair.

"Why do you let her do that to you?"

"Do what?" I focused on the rug under the table, refusing to make eye contact. I knew exactly what he was asking.

"Use you, Bella!" Caught off guard by his outburst, something I wasn't used to from him, I angled my body in his direction as he threw his hands in the air. "That's all she's doing."

"Maybe she is. But she's _my sister_, Edward. I know you don't have siblings, so it's hard for you to understand, but it's hard to sit back and relax knowing that your sister may be sleeping in the cold at that moment." I sat back on the couch rubbing my eyes and trying to rub out the headache that was already throbbing in my forehead.

"You're right, I don't understand the sibling bond. But I still have eyes and enough wisdom to know that you can't help someone who won't help themselves." I paused my actions long enough to look at him. He stood across from me, hands on hips and a determined look on his face.

"I don't know what you want me to do," I replied with a shake of my head. "You knew about this situation from the beginning."

"No, I knew about Brandon and gladly accepted him. I didn't know you were your sister's doormat. And frankly, I don't want to sit by and watch it anymore. She's ruining your life and will continue to do so until you stop her." I froze, feeling the immediate panic set in at his words.

"So are you breaking things off with me just because I'm trying to help my sister?" My second worse fear was bubbling beneath the surface and I could feel my chin quiver, withholding the dam of tears that wanted to cave under the pressure. He sighed and turned away.

"I hate that you see it that way. I'm not breaking up with you. Maybe I can't see it from your point of view, but I wish you could see it from mine and then you might understand. I love you and you're being smashed to pieces over and over again right before my eyes. It hurts me to see you break."

The dam finally collapsed and the tears starting running down my cheeks. I had so many plans for tonight, but it seemed as if we were going in the complete opposite direction.

"I'm going to step out for a bit of air," he said quietly as he walked to the door. The sound of it shutting behind him tore me in two and a sob escaped. I drew my knees up to my chin and wrapped my arms around my legs. The only sound in the room was the sound of my heart breaking because, no matter what he had said, I was so sure that Edward had just walked out of my life.

The sound of the phone ringing a few minutes later drew me out of my teary haze.

"Hello," I answered wearily, leaning toward the end table in search of a box of tissues.

"Hey, Bella. So here's the deal. The motel is one-forty-nine per week, and we need food and gas, so…"

I barely heard her words. As I had grabbed a tissue from the side table, I noticed the picture in the frame sitting on it. It was a picture of Edward, Brandon and me from Brandon's birthday party. Brandon was wrapped around Edward like a koala bear and I was tucked into his side, one of my favorite places in the world. Everything about the picture screamed love and family, yet I was throwing it away for someone who didn't even know the true meaning of those words anymore.

As Alice prattled on and on, my emotions and anger with her made rage boil up in me, so much that it overtook the sadness I felt inside. It might have taken me this long to realize where I had screwed up, but I was done with her. I had had enough.

"No."

"…I think that probably five hundred…Wait. What do you mean 'no'?"

"Just what I said. I'm not supporting you any longer, Alice. Find someone else to do it." The silence on the other end was deafening. Just as I was about to hang up, her shrill voice cut through the earpiece of my phone.

"You bitch! You said you would send me money! What am I supposed to do now?" she screeched through the phone.

"I don't know and I don't care, Alice."

"I hate you. You are nothing to me. You are not my sister." In the past, those words would've ripped me apart. The fact that I barely flinched was a small accomplishment for me.

"Well, regardless of how you feel about me, you'll always be my sister. I'll always love you and I'll always have the memories of how great I used to think you were. I'll work on trying to block out all the times you proved me wrong. Bye, Alice."

I pressed the 'end' button as the sound of her voice still screamed at me through the phone.

Standing in the middle of my living room, I was unsure of how to proceed from here. Thoughts and ideas were racing through my brain, but first thing's first.

I had to find Edward.

I yanked on my jeans before I made a beeline for the kitchen and grabbed my purse. I slipped on some shoes that were lying right inside my bedroom door, ran back to get my phone and darted out the front door. Digging in my purse trying to find my keys, I didn't notice that Edward's truck was still in the driveway until I heard my named called. I whirled around when I spotted it and saw Edward sitting on my porch swing.

"You stayed," I said breathless awe.

He looked at me in bewilderment. "Of course I did. I never said I was leaving. Just that I needed some air."

Emotions flooded through me and, once again, I was crying and trudging back toward him until he shushed me softly and wrapped me in his arms. We lowered onto the swing and he swayed me back and forth until I had composed myself.

"I'm finished with her. I just told her so."

"Yeah? Are you sure? Because chances are, she'll call you back."

As if on cue, my phone started to ring. I dug it out of my bag, checked to make sure it wasn't Jasper, silenced it and tossed back in my bag.

"Yes. I'm sure. You were right. I was enabling her." His arms tightened around me when my voice cracked at my confession.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I never meant to hurt you."

"No, you did what you had to do. Without the force it took for me to face reality, I never would've realized it myself. So I owe you a thank you."

"Still, I wish I hadn't stormed out like that. That never solves anything."

"It's okay, Edward. It's done and over. And look at us…we survived our first fight."

He smiled sadly at me. "I guess we did. Let's not do it again anytime soon." His smile turned into a playful leer. "Although, you're kind of hot when you're feisty."

"Well, I'm sure you'll see that again. I doubt that's the last time we ever fight."

He was quiet as he pushed the swing back and forth while a hand ran up and down my leg.

"So, does this mean we get to have make-up sex for the first time?" He glanced over out of the corner of his eye, coaxing a laugh out of me.

I stood up and grabbed my purse and his hand, pulling him up with me. Standing on my tip-toes, I pulled his head down and whispered against his lips. "That's the best idea I've heard all night."

**~ D ~**

Shelley left me a voicemail the following Wednesday morning asking me to call her. I knew Sam had probably already contacted her and she knew of the situation with Alice. She had promised that she would petition to have Alice's rights terminated if this happened and she was making good on her word. But I was going to beat her to the punch.

After lunch on Friday, I dropped by Shelley's office. She was surprised to see me but ushered me in without question. Once she settled in the gray chair on the other side of her disastrous desk, I spoke without hesitation.

"I want to file for full, permanent custody of Brandon."

Her eyebrows shot upward.

"Really? Are you sure about that?"

"Absolutely. I'm finished trying to make it work for her. I can't do it anymore. Not only is it wearing me down, I'm afraid it's starting to wear him down also. I've cut out all contact with her."

She sat back in her chair and studied me for a moment before speaking again.

"Well, all right. I've already started on the paperwork to have Alice's rights terminated since she skipped out of rehab. She's pretty much a done deal. It's going to be tricky since the father is involved, though. You know that, right? I mean, he's doing everything by the book so far. The judge has no reason to terminate _his_ rights."

"I understand. I'm going to call him this weekend and talk about it. If I filed for full custody, he could still have visitation rights, couldn't he?"

"We can probably arrange that with the court. It would be a special exception, but I'm sure the judge would understand and sign off on it."

"Okay then," I nodded. "I want to do it."

She was silent once more before suddenly sitting up straight at her desk and clicking away at her computer.

"I'll start the necessary paperwork on our end, but you need to see Rosalie about drawing up the legal documents. Have her send them to me for review and then we'll work with her to get them filed once you and Jasper both sign them."

I nodded and stood to leave. When I reached the door, the clacking of the keyboard stopped and her voice rang out through the room.

"Bella," she called. I turned, catching her reassuring, motherly smile. "You're doing the right thing."

I nodded solemnly and left her office. I knew her words were true, but why did it hurt so much?

**~ D ~**

I stopped by Rosalie's office on the way to my next appointment. She was professional and all business, but I could see her pride shining through. She knew what a huge step this was for me and understood that Alice had pushed and pushed and pushed until she had driven me to this point.

Rose almost repeated what Shelley had told me earlier in the day.

"You're making the right decision, Bella. He needs stability. Even if you were to convince Alice to clean up, who knows how long it would be for? I do hope that one day she gets her life in order and she can see Brandon again, but at least this way he's protected and firmly in place with you as a constant in his life."

"I know, Rose," I said with a small smile. I took a deep breath and let it wash through me. "So when do you think the papers will be ready?"

"We're really busy right now, but I can probably have them drafted in the next few weeks. Have you talked to Jasper yet?"

"No, not yet. I'm going to talk to him soon and explain the situation." I had hoped that I might catch him within the next week or so. The sooner the better.

"Do you need me present?"

"I don't know. I don't want him to feel bombarded by this or like he's backed into a corner. He wouldn't react well to that," I said with a grimace.

"I don't see why he would feel that way. It would just be us. And probably Edward, since he's your constant shadow now," she teased.

I grinned bashfully and looked away. "Yeah…Anyway, whatever you think. If that's the case, then I want to wait to speak with him when we have the papers drawn up. We could meet him at the coffee shop and discuss it with him."

"That sounds like a great idea. I'll get right to work on it. Maybe I can have this done by the end of next week. No promises though."

"That would be great, Rose. Thanks."

"My pleasure." She straightened the papers in the file and closed it. "Any plans this weekend?"

"Yeah, Edward is moving his furniture from his mom's house, so I'm going to go direct traffic or something for them. Maybe serve lunch."

"I think Emmett's helping. I'll probably see you there. We can let the kids run out all their energy in Edward's yard. It's huge."

"It really is a perfect place for kids," I agreed.

"Mmmhmmm. I'm sure he had that in mind when he decided to buy it."

"Oh, Rose, hush." I ducked my head, embarrassed by the blush that I knew burned on my face.

"You know it's true. I've seen the way he looks at you. It's only a matter of time, Bella. That boy is head over heels." She narrowed her eyes at me. "And if I know you, I'm thinking the feeling is mutual."

"Well, maybe you're right about one thing."

"Pffft. I'm always right about _everything_. Ask Emmett."

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><p><strong>I'm sorry, once again, for the delay. I really have no excuse, but please know that I'm trying to crank these chapters out as soon as I can. Thanks to the girls who got me this chapter back so quickly. They know I love them. Go read EllisBell725's drabble, The Daily Fix. It's adorable.<strong>

**I passed 1K reviews last chapter. You guys have no idea how much your support means to me. I hope you continue to enjoy the story because it's going to get a little rocky soon.**

**I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about this chapter. Hope to see you again really soon, but just in case I don't, Happy Breaking Dawn week! **


	17. Drift

**Before you read this chapter, here's a warning: it ends on a cliffie. If you'd like to wait the next chapter is posted, there WILL be another update next Tuesday.**

**Much love and many thanks to EmDempster and EllisBell725 and to all of you who have stuck around and put up with my delays.**

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><p>It was late afternoon the following Saturday before all the furniture was moved. Edward's enormous bed was set up and a few of the boxes had been unpacked. He was officially moved in and was practically giddy with excitement at the thought of spending the first night in his home.<p>

After we said our goodbyes to the McCarty's and watched Emmett's truck disappear onto the road, Edward tugged at my arm.

"Come on," he said cryptically. "Call Brandon. I want to show you guys something."

He turned and headed toward a trail that led to the dense woods.

"I don't know…" He glanced back as I trailed off apprehensively.

"It'll be fine. I've been all over the property. Nothing to worry about."

I made a point to look down at the worn shoes on my feet and back up at him. Converse weren't exactly made for hiking.

"It's not that much of a hike," he promised. "You'll be okay. The trail is pretty clear."

"Even for him?" I asked, nodding at Brandon.

"Yes, but don't worry about that. I have that handled."

He called Brandon's name and watched as the little Tasmanian devil diverted from his planned course of running around the expansive yard and made a beeline for us. Edward bent down to his level and came face to face with him as he skidded to a halt.

"Want to go on an adventure?" Edward asked him.

I laughed quietly watching Brandon's eyes grow wide as he nodded.

"Where, Ehwurd? Where are we going?"

"I'll show you. Hold on." He gripped Brandon's waist and hoisted him above his head, settling the little body on his broad shoulders while Brandon squealed in delight. They turned and headed toward the trail, leaving me to catch up.

I grumbled a little as I followed him down the overgrown trail, barely able to make out the former beaten down dirt underneath the weeds.

Brandon happily bounced on top of Edward's shoulders, squealing every time he could reach out and touch a branch. He yanked leaves from the trees and dropped them on top of Edward's head, making a nice little pile in his messy hair.

My giggles at the mess made Edward turn and grin at me. A twig with one lone leaf shifted with his movement, hanging over his brow. The sun, streaked through the trees, reflected off his face and made his eyes sparkle, the green of them almost exactly matching the shade of the leaf dangling from the twig.

My grumbling ceased as I took in the moment. How could I complain about _this?_ I could feel the image ofthat heart-stuttering smile framed by a set of knobby knees belonging to the other love of my life etching itself permanently into my memory.

It wasn't long before the trees thinned and opened into a wide, flat, circular piece of land. The grass was overgrown but not thick.

A few of the trees created overhangs and there were fallen limbs scattered throughout the various wild flowers that almost dominated the grass. The fact that Edward had a little meadow nestled in the woods behind his house was a welcomed surprise.

"This is so pretty," I breathed.

Edward set Brandon on the ground and immediately he took off running through the grass. I started to run after him but Edward caught my hand just as my feet took off.

"He'll be okay." Just as the words left his mouth, Brandon stumbled and disappeared into the grass. I jerked forward but Edward held firm to my hand.

"He's okay, Bella. Look."

He pointed to where Brandon had already popped back up and was running again.

"He could get hurt out here." My tone was accusing but my inner Mama Bear insisted upon rearing her ugly head.

"He could," Edward agreed. "But I doubt it. I came out this morning and made sure all the big stuff was out of the way. I knew Brandon would love it."

About that time, Brandon went down again. And again, I tried to jerk my arm away from Edward so I could go to him. But he held firm and pulled me back into his side. Together we watched Brandon get up, this time with a stick he must've discovered in his tumble. It was deemed a sword.

"Sometimes you have to let them fall so they'll learn to pick themselves back up." The quiet timbre of Edward's voice vibrated through me and I had a feeling he wasn't just talking about Brandon.

Alice's calls had finally stopped but she had been on my mind a lot lately. I'm sure he noticed that I was struggling with my conscience about my decision regarding her. His words hit me with the amount of force I needed to readjust my armor.

"When did you become so wise?" I teased.

"What can I say?" He answered cockily. "It just comes naturally to me."

He pulled me toward the edge of the meadow and I dutifully followed to a huge fallen tree that became a seat for us to watch Brandon in his imaginary epic battle as a sword-wielding superhero.

**~ D ~**

"So, let me get this straight. If I sign these papers, it gives you full custody and control over _my_ son?" Jasper paused mid-page turn and looked up at me with an arched eyebrow. I looked to where Rosalie sat quietly by my side on the orange couch in the back of the coffee shop, silently supporting me. I had asked her to let me handle the conversation and she agreed to sit back until she was asked questions. She gave me a nod to continue with the answer to his question.

"Well…yes, Jasper, technically that is correct. But I'll still want your input about major things concerning him and you'll still see him every other weekend. We even added a few extra days for holidays and such. It's not much different from the way things are now except for the fact that Alice will be completely out of the picture."

He continued to study the papers in his hand, flipping the pages every once in a while before returning to the first page and reading the petition again. His delay in response had me worried. I wasn't above pleading.

"Jasper, my biggest fear is that Brandon will be jerked away from me. I just want him to be safe and well cared for. While I _do_ have temporary guardianship, it would make me feel much better to have permanent custody of him. I want to have the comfort of knowing he has a permanent home, and I want him to know that he never has to leave."

"Are you planning to try and adopt him one day? Because I'll never consent to that," he said in a warning tone.

"No, Jasper. I'm not going to lie and say the thought has never crossed my mind. But that was when you and Alice were both messed up. I wouldn't try to take him from you now. He really loves the time he gets to spend with you."

More shuffling. More reading.

After what seemed like an hour, he finally set down the ten-page, stapled stack on the coffee table.

"I don't know, Bella. I don't know if I like the permanency of this. It's something I'll have to let my attorney review. Can I take this copy?"

Rosalie spoke up.

"I think that's a good idea. Yes, take that copy to your attorney and have him contact me if he wants to negotiate the terms of the agreement." She reached down in her bag and dug out a business card, reaching over the table to set it on top of the documents. "Here's my information if he wants to contact me."

Jasper nodded and gathered everything up. As he stood to leave, I reached out and touched his arm.

"I just want to do what's best for Brandon. You know that, right?"

He stared a beat longer than I was comfortable with before answering.

"Sure, Bella."

Without another word, he turned and walked out the front door, the sound of the tiny tinkling bell echoing in my ears.

**~ D ~**

Weeks passed without a definitive answer from Jasper or his attorney, Jason Jenks. Each time I asked Jasper about the documents, the answers I received ranged from 'My attorney has a lot of stuff to do, Bella. He'll get to it soon,' to 'My attorney is tweaking some things. I'll let you know when he's finished.'

The frustration I felt with Jasper and "his attorney" grew more and more each day. Rosalie tried to call Mr. Jenks' office several times only to be forwarded to voicemail or asked to leave messages that were never returned.

It was the week of Halloween when Rosalie had finally had enough. She forwarded me a copy of a letter she sent to Mr. Jenks via email. I could practically hear the clipped tone of her voice while reading it.

**From**: rmccarty (at) hale-mccarty (dot) com  
><strong>To<strong>: jjenks (at) jenkslawfirm (dot) com  
><strong>Subject<strong>: Isabella Marie Swan vs. Jasper Whitlock

Dear Mr. Jenks,

Since I have been unable to reach you after leaving numerous messages with your staff, I assume the best way to contact you is via email.

My client, Ms. Swan, has been informed by Mr. Whitlock that the Petition for Permanent Custody has been delivered to you for review. However, I have yet to hear a response from you or your client. It has now been more than thirty days and I have no other choice but to ask the court to grant the petition by default due to lack of response unless we hear from you by November 5.

Sincerely,

Rosalie McCarty  
>Hale and McCarty, P.C.<p>

**~ D ~**

"I don't understand why he's being so shady about the whole thing," I grumbled as I tried to wrestle Brandon into his Spiderman costume.

Jasper now refused to talk to me. I tried calling him a couple to times to see if he was going to be at his mother's house so I could drop by with Brandon. All of my calls went unanswered.

"He's just being a jerk. Probably picked it up from that sleazy ambulance-chaser," she sneered. Rosalie made no effort to disguise the disdain she felt for Jasper's attorney.

I giggled quietly as I zipped up Brandon's suit. Once he was complete, he jumped out and turned back to me, arm pointed out and middle fingers curled in like he was shooting a web at me. I played the part and squealed. He laughed and leapt out of the room, 'Fairy' Lily trailing close behind.

We summoned the men from doing whatever it is that men do when they hang out in the garage, gathered up the kids and buckets, and headed into town for the fall festival.

Hours later, we had an overflowing bucket of candy, two candied apples, about two hundred Oriental Trader-style toys and one brand new goldfish Edward had won and given to little Spiderman, only slightly cringing when Brandon adoringly named the fish Eddie. I failed to contain my laughter knowing how much he hated that nickname.

We were heading back to the car when I heard my and Brandon's names being called. I turned to see Charlotte hesitantly walking over to where we stood.

"Nana!" Brandon called. He was genuinely excited to see her. It made me happy, and honestly a little sad, to know that he was bonding with another female.

_Just so long as it wasn't with his Dad's girlfriend. Blech._

"Hey, Charlotte," I greeted with a smile.

"Hey, you guys," she said shyly, squatting down to receive an enthusiastic Spidey-hug. She listened very attentively as Brandon described his night and showed her all of his candy, toys and Eddie. Watching his interaction with Jasper's mom made me miss my own. She would've had that little boy more spoiled than he already was.

"I tried to get in touch with Jasper so he could see Brandon tonight," I told Charlotte when she stood up as Brandon ran circles around our group with Lily.

"He's out of town," she replied apprehensively. "I think he went somewhere with his girlfriend."

I tried to contain my sneer at the mention of his "girlfriend."

"I'll just have to show him a picture of Brandon in his costume then," I said, slightly pissed that he hadn't asked to take Brandon trick or treating or even offered to tag along.

I grabbed Brandon as he ran past and told him to say good-bye. It was late and I knew I would have a hell of a time bringing him down from his sugar high enough to go to sleep.

Charlotte dipped down and kissed the top of his head before he yelled out, "Bye, Nana!" and scurried back off after Lily.

"You've done such a wonderful job of raising him, Bella." Charlotte's words made me blush but I couldn't help but hear a touch of wistfulness in her voice. I wondered if she regretted not jumping at the opportunity of raising him herself.

"Thank you. But it's not without some selfishness on my part. He's one of the best things about my life." I smiled as I watched him fall to the ground while trying to avoid being tagged by Lily.

Charlotte gave me faint smile and quickly said her goodbyes, leaving me a little baffled by her sudden hurry to leave.

**~ D ~**

The first day of November, I dragged myself into the office after dropping Brandon off at preschool. Bleary-eyed and quiet on the way there, we both seemed to be suffering from exhaustion and a candy-induced hangover, but he was over his by the time I dropped him off.

I was still yawning as I propped up against Jessica's desk to gossip about who we saw at the fair. When the phone rang, she answered it in her saccharine-sweet receptionist voice. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall while I waited.

"Sure, hold on just a sec," I heard her say before she pressed a button and turned to me. "It's Rosalie. She wants to talk to you."

"Transfer her to my office," I replied, already heading that way.

"Do you think it's possible to suffer from a hangover from candy?" I asked in way of greeting when I picked up.

Instead of laughing or retorting something sarcastic, she was oddly serious. "Are you busy?"

"No." I perked up quickly as fear clenched in my gut. Rose never sounded that serious unless she was in full-blown attorney mode. Something was wrong. I knew it. "What's wrong?"

"I need to see you as soon as possible. Can you come to the office?" The urgency in her voice made me nervous and left no room for questions.

"Yeah, of course. I'll head that way now."

I threw down the receiver, grabbed my purse and was out the door before Jessica could ask where I was going. I'd text her later.

Rosalie was waiting on me when I walked through the door and without a word ushered me back to her office. She pointed at a seat in front her desk and I obediently sat.

"Rosalie, you're scaring me. What's going on?" I asked as she walked around and sat in her chair. She picked up a paper and slid it across her desk, nodding at it. With trembling fingers, I picked it up and started to scan it. A few key names and words stood out. My brain pieced it all together at the exact same time Rosalie spoke.

"Jasper has filed for full custody of Brandon."

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><p><strong>See you next Tuesday.<strong>


	18. Wilt

**Lots of love to the usuals who clean up this mess, EllisBell725 and EmDempster. **

**Massive amounts of love to the rest of you for your love and support. I had one anonymous person call me out on my lack of updating. Since that person wouldn't let me address her "concerns" by signing in so I could respond to her review, I addressed them on my blog. Link is on my profile. **

**Just as a reminder once again: I'm claiming artistic liberties with some of this legal stuff. It all varies state to state. Just go with it, mmm'k? ;)**

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><p>"He…he what?" I flipped back through the petition, dumbfounded as I read the words again.<p>

"I can't believe he would do this," I said quietly, shocked and overwhelmed.

"Well, believe it," Rose replied bitterly. "Not only did he do it but he also filed for an emergency hearing, like Brandon is in some sort of dire situation to be removed from your home. The hearing is two weeks from today."

Two weeks. In fourteen days my entire world could be upended and everything I've known and Brandon has known for the past three years could be no more.

"Have I told you lately how much I detest his attorney? I need to call Shelley," Rose mumbled. She picked up her phone and dialed quickly waiting for the answer.

"Shelley? It's Rosalie. You got a copy too? Yeah, I know." She looked up at me as she spoke in the phone. "What do you think?"

There were a lot of "mmhmm's" and "I know's" before she said goodbye and quietly replaced the receiver.

"What does she think?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Bella, I'm going to be blunt about this. The outcome could go either way, but the court, particularly Judge Aro, typically favors reformed birth parents. They have every intention on working to get foster children back with one or both of them."

I nodded, silenced by her solemn expression and honest words. I had two weeks to cherish every moment with Brandon...just in case. Because it became clear to me that I could lose him forever.

**~ D ~**

It was a rough night for me. I holed up in the house after I left Rose's office, wallowing in self-pity and early grief. Jessica questioned my sick status when I called to tell her I would be out the rest of the day, but thankfully she didn't press for details. I couldn't tell anyone about this just yet.

Edward came over as soon as he left school and was absolutely livid when I told him what was going on.

Brandon remained blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil. He went about his normal nightly routine of running through the house in his underwear and cape while Edward and I watched.

"Is there anything we can do, Bella?" The worry in Edward's eyes was apparent; it reflected my own.

"I really don't think so. It's up to the judge now. All we can do is hope he makes the best decision for Brandon. That's all that's really important, isn't it? That he's happy and well-taken care of?"

"I can see where you're going with this," he said, frowning. "There is no one on this earth that could be a better parent to him than you, Bella."

I nodded my head and sighed.

"Thank you for that. Unfortunately, it's not up to me or you. We'll just have to see what happens."

He sat quietly beside me as Brandon came tearing through the house chasing an imaginary bad guy.

"Let's just load him up and head to Chicago. Are you opposed to hiding out for the next fifty years or so?" He asked seriously.

I laughed but couldn't really put much heart into it. I would be lying if I said the idea hadn't crossed my mind one or fifty times that day.

"Believe me when I say I've thought about that. If only I had a criminal mind."

His grip tightened around my shoulders and he pulled me closer.

"I'll be here every step of the way for you. We'll figure it out."

**~ D ~**

Wednesday night, we met my father for our weekly dinner. I quietly informed him of what had happened. He did not take it very well.

He was ready to walk straight out of the diner with his gun, find Jasper and shoot him. He even had Edward convinced to help him bury the body. I had to silence them both with threats before Brandon overheard and understood what we were talking about. I refused to talk to him about the possibility that he might be taken from me. I didn't want to cause any premature anxiety for him.

By the time Friday rolled around, I was over my devastation of the news. I was flat-out pissed and feeling all kinds of confrontational.

As I pulled into the coffee shop parking lot to hand Brandon over to Jasper, crazy scenarios ran through my mind, the worst of them being Jasper running off with Brandon. I rationalized to myself that he wouldn't do such a thing because it would be stupid considering his odds versus mine in winning custody.

I stood patiently aside as I watched him buckle Brandon into his car seat. He hurried around the front of the car, trying to avoid me.

"Jasper, we need to talk," I said as I followed him around the car.

"There's nothing to talk about, Bella." His face remained an infuriatingly calm façade despite the fact his hands were clenched into fists.

"What do you mean? Of course there is! Don't you realize how much this could hurt him?"

He stopped, shut the door and turned around with a vicious gleam in his eye.

"It would hurt him, Bella? Or you? Or your _boyfriend_?" He sneered.

"All of us, Jasper!"

"Well, I don't give a shit about you or your boyfriend. As far as Brandon goes, he's a kid. He'll bounce back quickly."

"How can you be so…callous, Jasper?" I cried, outraged by his nonchalance at upending my little boy's life.

He huffed and climbed in his car. I stood there dumbfounded by the fact that he blatantly ignored me until the car started and he rolled down the window.

"I just want what's mine, Bella. And he belongs to me."

**~ D ~**

The morning of the hearing, I was a nervous wreck. Brandon didn't understand why he couldn't go to daycare to see his friends but Shelley had asked that he attend the hearing. He wouldn't be in the courtroom with us but rather he would wait outside with another social worker. I didn't like the fact that he was going to be there at all, but with his presence requested, it made me think that someone knew things weren't going to turn out in my favor. I couldn't lose hope just yet though.

Edward sat in the courtroom right behind me, Rosalie and Shelley, and that evil witch Maria sat behind Jasper and his attorney. She was actually dressed in nice, presentable clothing, nothing like her usual street attire. She looked respectable for once.

I almost didn't recognize her.

At ten o'clock sharp, we were ordered to rise and Judge William Aro took his seat. I looked to my left to see Mr. Jenks, Jasper's attorney, wearing a smug, arrogant look like he had already won. I felt sick.

My knee bounced involuntarily in anticipation. Rosalie reached over and laid her hand on my knee, alerting me to the movement so I could stop myself. As she drew her hand back though, I couldn't help but notice the slight trembling of her fingers. She was just as nervous as me.

Judge Aro cleared his throat and the court reporter sat up straighter and started to type as he began speaking.

"It seems that we are here today to discuss the custody situation of the minor child, Brandon Charles Swan. Is that correct?" Several voices murmured 'Yes, your honor' in response.

"Mr. Jenks, can you explain to me why you and your client found it imperative to rush this hearing? Is the child in danger?" The judge sat back in his chair waiting for an explanation.

"Your honor, my client simply wants to make up for lost time. He has recently married and is ready to settle down."

_He what? He married that woman? _

"He feels as though he is now able to provide a secure, stable home for the child in a family environment."

Rosalie spoke up for the first time, venom lacing her voice.

"Your honor, for the record, Brandon is currently living in a secure, stable environment and is surrounded by people he knows and trusts. I don't believe the sense of family could be any more present in the child's life."

"I disagree," Mr. Jenks retorted. "My client has driven by the residence on several occasions and has seen the defendant's boyfriend's vehicle there during all hours of the night."

I had no idea he was driving by my house. Seems like it would be a little out of his way, especially at 'all hours of the night'.

"He also has reason to believe that the defendant is trying to place emphasis on the new male figure in the child's life as a father figure, thus severing the fragile bond with the child my client has worked so hard for."

"Objection, your honor. You can't force a child to love one person more than another and it is certainly none of the plaintiff's business who stays at my client's home. One might question _why_ the plaintiff is driving by my client's house late at night."

"Sustained. Mr. Jenks, we're not here to paint the other party in a bad light," the judge admonished.

"Yes, your honor." The smug bastard had the audacity to look remorseful. "The fact of the matter is my client now knows his son well enough to care for him and doesn't want to miss out on any more of his life."

I couldn't contain the snort that escaped from me. Everyone in the room turned their focus in my direction, including the Judge.

"Ms. Swan, do you have something you'd like to say?"

I knew I should've kept my mouth shut and let my attorney do the talking but I couldn't contain myself.

"As a matter of fact, I do." I turned my focus to Jasper. "You think you know him? You spend four days a month with him, Jasper. Four! Just how well could you possibly know him? Do you know what his favorite book is or how he likes his sandwich cut up? Do you know the superhero theme songs or which movie is his favorite? Do you know his favorite cereal? Juice? Snack?"

"Tell me, Jasper, do you know that he comes home upset that Maria refuses to play with him and how you don't pay him any attention when she's around?"

Maria opened her mouth like she was going to reply to my comment but was silenced by a look from Mr. Jenks. Jasper just rolled his eyes and shook his head. Perched on the edge of my seat now, I was to the point of launching myself across the room at his throat.

"I believe you have made your point, Ms. Swan," Judge Aro interrupted.

"Yes, your honor," I replied quietly as I sat back in my chair. Rosalie spoke up, trying to save me from the disaster I had just created. I'm sure it didn't help me to showcase my rage toward Brandon's father in front of a judge.

"I think what Ms. Swan is trying to do is point out that she knows this child better than anyone, which is why it would be a better idea to consider the joint custody that she proposed initially. That way the child's life isn't interrupted and both parties can spend equal time with the child."

Judge Aro removed his glasses and sat them in front of him. Folding his hands and leaning forward, he looked intimidating and severe.

"While I do understand your position in that proposal, Ms. McCarty, the fact remains that your client ultimately has no legal claims to the child. Temporary foster care cannot be translated into parental rights."

As much as I knew what I was getting myself into when I signed up to be Brandon's guardian, I never imagined that I would care for him the way I do now. He was _my_ little boy. For the judge to sit on the other side of the desk and tell me I had no legal rights to him left me a little breathless because I knew where this conversation was headed.

My breathing picked up when he returned his glasses to their perch on his nose, closed the file and sat back in his chair. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes and reopened them a moment later with a look of grim determination that sent my heart beating double its normal speed.

"My job is to determine where the best place is for this child. I've read the reports and have all of the information I could gather on this case."

He turned his attention directly to me and continued.

"I can only imagine what it has been like for you, Ms. Swan, to take on a child and raise him at your age. It was a wonderful thing for you to do," he commended, but his words sounded more like a sentencing than praise.

My eyes started burning.

"However, you knew when you signed up for this that the intention of the State of Washington was to return the child to his parents when they cleaned up their act. Since Mary Alice Swan's parental rights have been terminated, that leaves one parent. It appears Mr. Whitlock has followed the program's plan and has made a good effort to take back control of his life."

No. No no no no no no. This couldn't be happening. No.

"Therefore, as difficult as it is, I have come to the decision to grant Mr. Whitlock his request, subject to a ninety day trial period. The child in question should be placed in his custody effective immediately." He focused solely on Jasper and gave him a stern look. "Mr. Whitlock, this is your final chance. I'm taking a huge leap of faith trusting you to take care of your son and somewhat jumping protocol because you have made a real effort this past year. If you mess this up, you will lose him permanently. Are we clear?"

"Yes, your honor," Jasper nodded with a grim smile.

My chest hurt and my heart was beating so fast that it was drumming in my ears. I felt as though I was underwater, drowning a slow, painful death.

Shelley quickly spoke up for the first time during the hearing.

"Your honor, with all due respect, I do not believe this will be in the best interest of the child," her voice was forceful with anger.

"Ms. Cope, I understand your concern, however my decision has been made."

"While I understand that, your honor, I still don't think it's a wise idea to yank him out of the only home he has known for more than three years. It would be devastating to him. He's very well adjusted and something this drastic could send him into shock and shut him down."

Judge Aro looked thoughtfully at Shelley, contemplating her statement.

"I can see how that might be a possibility." He paused and glanced my way.

"Let the record show that Ms. Swan is to deliver the child into the custody of Mr. Whitlock by Sunday, November nineteenth at six p.m. At that time, Mr. Whitlock's trial custody of the child will take effect. Once the ninety days are up, this court will grant permanent custody to Mr. Whitlock."

"Your honor," Rose spoke up. "Is there any way we can arrange visitation between my client and the child."

"Ms. McCarty, you know very well that your client has no legal claims for visitation," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Yes, sir, I am aware of that. However, I am pleading on her behalf."

"You honor, I object," we heard from across the room.

Jason Jenks was my number one enemy at that moment. "Continued visitation with Ms. Swan could hinder the child's transition into his new life. My client would prefer a clean break."

No visitation? I hadn't even really considered that possibility. Surely Jasper wasn't that cruel, was he? He was just yanking Brandon away from me forever?

"Jasper, how could you?" I whispered, tears springing from my eyes as I searched for his.

He avoided me, though, glancing out of the corner of his eye toward where I sat. The coward couldn't even look at me.

"You aren't just hurting me, Jasper. You're hurting him!"

"Ms. Swan, I'm sorry but this decision is now completely up to Mr. Whitlock," Judge Aro intervened. "Maybe you two can work something out that will benefit everyone. This hearing is adjourned," he said with finality as his gavel slammed against wood.

I rose slowly from the table, dazed as I watched Jasper rush out of the room, his little tramp hot on his heels. Edward came swiftly around the divider and gathered me into his arms. I hadn't realized that I was starting to sink to the floor as my legs failed me.

Rosalie led us out an opposite door than we came in and down a quiet hall. She stopped abruptly and grabbed me from Edward, hugging me so fiercely that I couldn't breathe.

"Brandon?" I asked.

"Is with Shelley in the other hall. She told me she would keep him occupied until you could pull yourself together."

I nodded absently, my chin hitting her shoulder as I did so.

"Bella, I'm so, so very sorry. I did all I could do. I'm filing an appeal first thing tomorrow," she said through tears.

I only nodded again because I couldn't speak. There were no words for the pain in my heart.

So there, in the Clallam County Courthouse, I sobbed into Rosalie's shoulder as Edward watched, red-eyed himself.

My entire world had just shattered.

* * *

><p><strong>Just remember, I promised an HEA from the beginning. Next update will be next week, although I can't guarantee a particular day.<strong>


	19. Wither

**It's an (early) Christmas miracle!**

* * *

><p>When we had arrived back home from court, my dad was waiting. He didn't take the news well and stormed out. Edward followed him and they disappeared into the woods behind the house. I took two deep breaths and knew what I had to do.<p>

"Brandon, can you come here for a moment?" He had bolted to his room as soon as we hit the front door. He came bounding around the corner, cape already attached and a Spiderman toy clutched firmly in his little hand.

"Come sit with me for a minute," I said as I patted my lap. He dutifully climbed up on the couch and snuggled up next to me.

"I have something I need to talk to you about, buddy." He looked at me curiously but remained silent. "Today some people decided it would be better for you to go live with your Daddy. I need you to understand something, okay? This _was not_ La-La's choice. I don't want you to leave me but I know you would like to spend more time with your Daddy." My voice broke toward the end and it was everything I could do to hold my composure.

"So I'm not gonna stay here wif you, La-La?" Hurt brewed in his eyes and even if I wanted to put all the blame on Jasper, I couldn't.

"No, buddy, but I wish you could. It's not up to me. It's up to your Daddy and the judge."

"I don't wike them, La-La," he pouted.

I laughed through tears and agreed. "I'm not too fond of them myself right now. But you will have fun at Daddy's house. He'll take care of you and Nana Charlotte will be around too."

"When will I come back to my house?" he asked.

"Buddy, I…I don't know. I'm trying to work some stuff out with your Daddy. We'll see. Hopefully soon."

Quietness engulfed the room for a few minutes. He stared at his Spiderman toy, turning it over and over in his hands.

"Do I have to go today, La-La?" he asked in a small voice.

"No, sweetheart. You go the day after tomorrow. We still have lots of time to play!"

He threw done the action figure and jumped off the couch. "Can we go outside then?"

"Lead the way," I motioned. Once outside, we got in one good game of hide-and-go-seek before Dad and Edward emerged from the tree line.

"Grandpa, come play wif me!" Brandon called out to my dad. His grim expression quickly shifted to protect Brandon as he walked to the swingset. I felt Edward's arms wrap around me from behind and pull me into his body.

"Did you tell him?"

"Yeah," I replied with a sigh. "He took it surprisingly well."

"I'm sure that's because as of right now they're just words, Bella. Sunday may produce different results."

"Who knows?" I asked, watching my Dad push Brandon higher and higher on the swing. His delighted squeals filled the air. "He may prove us wrong and be just fine with it all."

I had never been so wrong in my life.

**~ D ~**

Sue came over Saturday to help me pack up Brandon's belongings. She followed me down the hall to his bedroom and nearly ran into me when I froze at the door.

I looked around the room, from his loaded bookshelves to the painted train sign with his name on it, over to his wooden twin bed and the matching toy box with the toys spilling out of it onto his blue rug. We'd just had a knockdown drag-out last week about him picking up his toys. Suddenly, it all seemed so silly. I would have given anything to know that those toys could permanently stay there.

"I don't think I can do this, Sue," I whispered. She gently rubbed my shoulders and spoke softly.

"I know, honey. I know. But tomorrow he's going to a new place and he's going to need the comforts of home that only you can provide for him. You have to do it, Bella."

As she spoke, I spotted Brandon's stuffed dinosaur lying on his bed, tucked under the blanket. I smiled to myself remembering when I bought it for him right after he came to live with me. It was ratty and dirty now, but he wouldn't part with it. It slept in his bed every night. I couldn't imagine him being without his beloved 'Dino'. Maybe when he played with it, he would think of me.

"Okay," I sniffed and stood up. "Okay. Let's get to it." Sue spent the next hour helping me pack up toys, clothes, blankets and books. I didn't pack up every single thing he owned because, well, the tiny part of me still had hope that Brandon would at least be able to come and spend the night with me every once in a while.

The next afternoon, after boxes and black garbage bags were loaded into the truck Jasper was driving and while Maria stood off to the side impatiently tapping her foot on the concrete, Brandon had to be pried from my arms. I don't know who was holding on tighter. I tried my best to keep the tears at bay but Brandon couldn't. They had to fight to buckle him into his seat in the car and I could hear him screaming my name after the door was shut and the engine started. When I saw his tear-streaked face as they backed down the driveway and into the street, it was my final undoing. I collapsed into Edward's arms and he had to practically carry me inside.

My dad and Sue had come over to see Brandon off also. They hung around a little while, both red-faced and teary, to make sure I was okay. I felt like I had lost a child. There were so many unknowns but the biggest one playing in my mind at the moment was whether I was going to get to see Brandon again or not. I knew Rose was, at this very moment, elbow deep in research trying to find some kind of legal rights for me, but I wasn't holding on to any hope.

**~ D ~**

Two weeks later, as I laid staring at the woods outside Edward's bedroom window watching the dust particles float across the sunlight beaming through the blinds, my thoughts were on Brandon. The bed shifted and an arm draped over my hip. Edward's chin came to rest on my shoulder, his scruff scratching my skin.

"Morning," he said quietly and I replied the same. I could see him out of the corner of my eye watching me stare out the window.

It had been exactly two weeks since my world came to a halting screech straight into a brick wall.

Two weeks since I had seen the smiling face I looked forward to every morning.

Two weeks since Jasper had pulled out of my driveway with my heart and soul.

"I miss him, too." Edward's words were hushed. He knew what I was thinking about. It was all I had been thinking about lately. "Maybe Charlotte will come through for you Friday. Let's hope for the good, yeah?"

I took a deep breath and nodded in agreement, reminding myself there was a chance I would get to see Brandon soon.

The day before, I had run into Charlotte in the coffee shop downtown. She kept her head down and tried to duck past me but there was no way I was letting her walk by without taking the chance to check on Brandon. She assured me that he was fine.

"He's adjusting well, Bella. Just like we knew he would."

"Oh my God," I exclaimed. I remembered her avoidance at the festival as realization dawned on me. "You knew!"

"Bella, I'm sorry but I couldn't tell you," she replied. "Jasper's my son. I couldn't betray him like that." Her nonchalance angered me. Third stage of grief, here I come.

"What about your grandson, Charlotte? Aren't you the least bit worried about what this is doing to him? How this sudden change is going to affect his life?"

"Of course I am, Bella. Like I said…so far, he's adapted pretty well."

Pain. A knife twisted in my heart. It was wrong for me to feel that way. Reasonably, I should have been happy that he was adjusting to his new life, but it still hurt to know that he could survive without me. It was like empty nest syndrome twenty years too early.

"So you see him, then?" I asked quietly.

Her face immediately softened and transformed into that sympathetic look everyone else in town was sporting toward me.

"Yeah, he stays with me during the day while Jasper works and Maria does…whatever it is that Maria does."

"Do you think…" I paused and dropped my voice considerably, pleading. "Can I see him, Charlotte? Please?"

"Bella, if Jasper found out I was letting you see Brandon on the sly, I have no doubt he would keep him from me. I just can't risk that," she said sadly.

Despite the fact I expected her to say no, I couldn't help the tears that pooled in my eyes. The one last shred of hope that had blossomed at the chance of seeing my little boy completely disintegrated at the shake of her head. I nodded mine silently and turned to walk away. I couldn't bear to speak with her any longer.

"You know," she spoke up behind me, "Brandon and I frequently visit the playground. He loves to go there because La-La used to take him all the time. I think he and I will go Friday, probably around noon," she said pointedly. "It _is_ a public place, after all. Who am I to say who can and cannot show up there?"

My heart swelled and I grasped the line she was casting with both hands.

"I think I'll be going for a walk Friday. Thank you, Charlotte."

She nodded, gave me a small smile and walked out of the coffee shop.

** ~ D ~**

That Sunday afternoon I decided to do some grocery shopping. While my heart still hurt, my spirits were lifted at the chance possibility of seeing Brandon in a few days. I told Edward I was cooking that night, at his house of course. He responded with a brilliant smile, probably thankful I had broken out of the haze I had been in that morning.

I rarely went home anymore. It was too painful. The last time I thought I was ready and would be fine, I found a matchbox car and had a meltdown. Needless to say, Edward found me curled into a ball on the couch that night. He packed my bag, then I repacked my bag because men never know what to pack, and I pretty much moved in with him.

He had been so great about taking care of me that I felt the need to do something in return. For two weeks I had been so overwhelmed with my grief that I had ignored him.

I was picking through tomatoes in the vegetable bin when something slammed into the back of my legs. Little arms wrapped around my knees as I turned to see what was assaulting me in the middle of the produce section.

"Brandon!" I cried and immediately knelt down.

"Hi, La-La! I miss you so much! Can I come home wif you now?"

I didn't know what to say so I changed the subject. "Are you here with Nana?"

He barely got out the word "No" before I heard angry shrieking closing in on us.

"Brandon, you've been told over and over again not to run away from me," Maria spat angrily. "Just wait until I tell your Daddy about this. You…" She halted when she saw it was me.

"Perfect. Just perfect," she mumbled. "Now he's going to be whiny the rest of the day."

"Brandon, I'm so, so glad I got to see you today," I said as I ignored Maria. I took in his appearance and even though it had only been a few weeks, I felt like his face had taken on a more boyish shape than a baby one. He looked tired, though, like he wasn't sleeping enough.

"Are you doing okay, buddy? Feeling okay?"

"Yes, La-La. Can we go to your house now?" He shook my hand anxiously while glancing back and forth between me and Maria.

"Brandon, I-"

"You aren't going with her, Brandon," Maria said rather brusquely. "You're going home with me. Now come on. I have things to do."

"No!" He screamed at her. "I'm going home wif my La-La!" He turned to me, begging. "Please La-La. Please!"

Maria walked over and grabbed his arm roughly, yanking him away from me the crowd of onlookers that had gathered to watch the scene. I was frozen to the spot on the hard linoleum floor, still able to hear his begging and pleading as she dragged him toward the front of the store. Abruptly, it cut-off and that spurred me into action. I ran after them, leaving my cart and purse behind and not even caring. I stepped outside the sliding doors and came to a halt as I saw Maria's car speeding out of the parking lot. My head was spinning and I had no idea what to do about what had just happened.

A kind older lady I recognized as a volunteer at the library stepped up beside me and handed me my purse.

"Seems like she's a right evil wench," she spat. "Shouldn't be that hateful to such a sweet child." She patted me on the arm and gathered my attention. "I hope everything works out for you. He deserves better."

I nodded, still shocked, and watched as she walked away. I snapped out of my haze and dug through my bag. I had someone to call.

**~ D ~**

"You have to do something, Shelley! She practically dragged him out of the store kicking and screaming. That's not healthy and there's no way he's adjusting. I don't believe a word of it, no matter what he's told you."

I paced back and forth across her living room, trying to regain some composure. I'd barely hung up the phone to tell her I was on the way when I barged into her home. Shelley sighed, removed her glasses and propped her elbows up on her kitchen table.

"Bella, I know. Trust me – I know. He didn't tell me he was happy when I met with him. I had to ask him the requisite questions like 'Do you have plenty to eat?' or 'Is Daddy around a lot?' I know he isn't happy. That's pretty evident. But I can't have the child removed from his father's home simply on the grounds that he isn't happy. You know that, Bella."

I flopped in a chair, frustrated at… everything. Shelly, CPS, the Judge, the government, Maria, Jasper…

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I can't imagine how difficult this is for you," she said quietly.

I barked out an unamused laugh.

"It's not me I'm thinking about here, Shelly. There's a frightened little boy out there who probably has no understanding of why he isn't with me. After what I saw today, he has every right to be afraid."

She sighed and sat back in her chair.

"Tell you what. Go home, type up an account of what you witnessed at the market and email it to me. I'll forward it to Judge Aro in the morning and ask if we can open an investigation. That's all I can do at this moment, Bella. I don't know if he'll go along with it because he might see it as a ploy for you to get Brandon back."

"There were witnesses, Shelley. The lady that returned my purse to me volunteers at the library. I can get her to affirm my statement."

"We may have to do that. I don't know. Just let me see what I can do and I'll get back with you when I hear something back from him."

She paused and pressed her lips together. I knew that look. She was going to say something she knew I wouldn't like and was carefully considering her words beforehand.

"Bella," she started. "You need to consider the possibility that Brandon may permanently stay with his father. I can't start an investigation every time you think he's not being treated the way you would treat him. Some parents have different parenting skills than others."

"Shelley, this is not some scheme to get him back," I retorted. "I'm seriously worried about his well-being."

She held up a hand defensively.

"I know. I just want you to be prepared for it. You may want to also consider talking to a professional. I have a really good friend in town and could give her a call if you'd like."

I inwardly rolled my eyes and grabbed up my purse. Rising from the chair, I kept my voice as even as possible.

"Shelley, I have considered all possibilities here. I know what I'm facing. I don't think I need professional counseling but it's something I'll keep in mind. Just keep me updated on what Judge Aro says."

She nodded as we walked to the front door.

"I'll forward you his response. In the meantime, think about what I said, Bella. I hate seeing you like this."

I gave her an incoherent response of "Yeah, sure," and headed to my car.

**~ D ~**

By the following Tuesday, Judge Aro had responded to Shelley's request. She was to question the daycare to see if they noticed any physical marks. If not, there were no actual grounds to open an investigation. Of course, no one at the daycare had seen any signs of abuse. Shelley gave me her apologies and left it at that. Unless prompted by someone other than me, there would probably be no follow-ups on the incident.

Rosalie was getting nowhere either. There were no laws protecting extending family. My only hope was Jasper agreeing to let me see Brandon and we all knew that wasn't happening.

Edward was equally as frustrated as me. He had consulted a few friends he knew in the legal field but since laws vary from state to state, nothing his Chicago friends could contribute would help.

Friday rolled around and I was so anxious to possibly spend time with Brandon that I got to the park by eleven-thirty. I waited…and waited…and waited.

At one o'clock, I sighed and gathered the remnants of my lunch, tossing them in the garbage on my way back to the car. Clearly Charlotte had gotten wind of what happened at the market and decided not to let me see him. Maybe he was still upset over the entire encounter. A weight fell into the pit of my stomach. As I pulled out of the parking lot, final resignation settled over me.

I had lost Brandon forever.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Girl Scout's Honor…you will have another chapter no later than two weeks from now AND that chapter will be much less angsty. Thank you for your kind words, PMs, reviews and for sticking by me when I either have too much going on or am just a complete slacker. Thanks to my girls, EmDempster and EllisBell725, for their help and Beta skillz.**


	20. Flower

An eerie calm settled over me in the days following my failed attempt at seeing Brandon. I threw myself back into work, something I had neglected for almost a month. With my permission, Angela had taken over my listings and briefed my clients on the situation with me, telling them as much as she could without overstepping her boundaries. Needless to say, a few of them had already heard through the grapevine that weaved throughout the streets of Port Angeles and were full of sympathy when I called to touch base with them.

Christmas week soon arrived, much quicker than I had hoped. I had been looking forward to watching Brandon open gifts this year. He was older and more excited about the prospect of waking up to presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

Instead, my bank account was a good bit more in the black than in previous years.

Hoping for the best, I had bought a few things for Brandon. A few action figures, some coloring books and clothes were the extent of my purchases. I hoped that if I didn't go overboard, Jasper would be more likely to accept the gifts for Brandon.

Everything was dropped off to Shelley the day before Christmas Eve. She had contacted Jasper on my behalf and he agreed to allow the gifts as long as Shelley delivered them instead of me and as long as they could be considered "Santa" gifts. Brandon couldn't know they were from me for fear that he would be upset and "pitch another fit like the one following the supermarket incident". I grudgingly agreed because I wanted Brandon to have the gifts but was annoyed that Jasper insisted like acting as though I had fallen off the face of the earth.

After leaving Shelley's office, I stopped by my house to pick up some things I needed to make Christmas dinner. I was digging out a casserole dish from the bottom of a cabinet when my doorbell rang. I secured the teetering tower of glass sitting outside the cabinet and jogged to the door, wondering who would be stopping by since everyone knew I was staying at Edward's.

I immediately regretted not checking to see who it was before flinging the door open.

"Alice," I said, trying to remain calm. Just her presence on my doorstep set my blood to boiling.

"Hi," she replied timidly, very unlike her normal self. Or, at least, what had become normal for her.

She looked…different. There were dark circles under her eyes, barely masked by the thin layer of makeup she wore. Her hair was flat against her head instead of sticking up in all directions like the last time I saw her. The most noticeable thing was her calm demeanor. Her pupils weren't enlarged indicating to me that she was actually sober.

Which meant she was probably looking for money.

"What do you want, Alice?" I asked with a sigh as I propped against the door frame.

"I just wanted to come by. I know I'm in trouble here so before word gets around that I'm back in town, I wanted to see Brandon…if that's okay."

At the mention of his name, an irrational rage stirred within me and was ready to be unleashed…on Alice.

"Well, that's too bad. You have no right to see him, Alice. You gave that up when you skipped out on rehab. Besides, he's not here." I moved to shut the door in her face but she caught it, refusing to let the door latch. I jerked it back open, glaring at her. She put up a hand in surrender before I could open my mouth to go on a tirade.

"Bella, I know I've screwed up. I've fucked up everything in my life, especially my family. I'm trying here. Believe it or not, I've been sober for about a little over a month now. I know I will never be able to make up the things I have neglected to give him but I just want to see him, to make sure he's okay and know that even in this fucked up world I've been living in, at one time I did just one thing right…I brought him into the world."

"Alice, I'd love nothing more than to be able to let you see Brandon. But I can't," I said as my voice broke.

"You're scaring me, Bella. What do you mean you can't?"

"I can't because he no longer lives with me. Jasper filed for custody and the judge awarded it to him."

A few heartbeats passed before…

"WHAT?" Alice screeched. "How- Why- Are you serious?!"

I couldn't answer because my chin was quivering too much. She took my silence as an opportunity to go off on a rampage, pacing back and forth on the porch.

"He's still dealing, Bella! He's not using but I know he sells. I just bought from him when I was in town last time. He had a ton of shit so I know he's dealing. Oh my God." She whirled around to face me.

"How could this happen, Bella?"

The anger clicked back on inside me. The anger I needed to take out on someone. Now I had the perfect, most deserving target.

"I don't know, Alice. How do you think it happened?" I asked sarcastically. "Maybe it was because the judge thought Brandon needed to be with one of his biological parents. And seeing how his mother doesn't care about him enough to stay sober or accept the help she's been offered numerous times, his father was the next best option. Now I'm not even allowed to see him." The words squeaked at the end as I tried to maintain composure. She mumbled incoherently before she looked up at me.

"Bella, I'm sorry," she said quietly. I laughed and threw up my hands, outraged and on the verge of punching her in the mouth.

"You're sorry? You're SORRY?! Do you know how many tears I have cried over you? Do you realize how much money I've given you? Do you realize how you've torn apart this family? Yeah, you're sorry as hell all right." I looked her square in the eye. "Get the hell off my porch and out of my life."

I turned and stepped back inside. The door was almost shut when I heard her voice.

"Every day, Bella. Every day I remember how I've torn this family apart."

Something in her voice told me she was referring to more than just Brandon. As much as I didn't want to fall into a trap of her poor-pitiful-me routine, I couldn't help but ask.

"What are you talking about, Alice?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

She took a pack of cigarettes out of her back pocket and lit one, shaking like a leaf during the entire routine. I gave her a moment before I pressed on.

"Alice?" She twisted and sat down on the steps of the porch.

"Did you know Mom had asked me to stay home that day? 'Stay home and help me,' she had asked. Almost pleaded. 'It'll be just you and me and we can catch up.' But did I? No. I was too busy worrying about myself and my friends and my social life to give Mom any time."

I had never heard any mention of this guilt before. Taken aback, I moved to sit beside her.

"Alice, I have no idea what you're talking about. What-"

"I should have been at home, Bella. If I had stayed home, I could have called an ambulance and Mom might still be alive." A dam of tears broke and poured down her face. For the first time in years, I found myself feeling sorry for her.

"Alice, there's no way you can seriously think Mom's death is your fault."

"I don't know what to think anymore, Bella. I'm trying. I'm truly trying to sober up. But then I remember how much I've fucked up in my life and I crash."

"You have fucked up, Alice. A lot. But I never, ever even _thought_ to blame you for Mom's death, nor did Dad. It was a freak accident, a natural cause. You cannot blame yourself and you can't live your life asking 'what if?'. She shook her head but didn't say anything so I continued.

"And if you are serious about getting sober, that's great…but you have to get help. I can't do it for you anymore, Alice. You have to do it. Do it for you and then worry about everyone else."

"I'm trying, Bella. I haven't done anything in a week. Seven days. That's the longest I've gone since I was pregnant with Brandon."

"Good," I nodded. "Keep it that way."

"I miss my little sister," Alice said quietly. "I miss her strong will and kind heart. But that's no one's fault but my own." I glanced over to see a teardrop trickle down her cheek. It had been a long, long time since I had seen Alice cry. I hooked my arm through hers and leaned into her.

"I miss my big sister," I replied. "My big sister that taught me about boys and snotty girls and sex and how to properly stuff a bra," I said with a laugh. She smiled in return. "I need her back, Alice."

She sat up straight and sniffed. After stubbing out her cigarette, she stood up and stepped down on the path.

"I have some things I need to take care of in town so I better get going." She reached out, grabbed my hand and squeezed. "You'll have her back, Bella. I promise."

~ D ~

Christmas was a pretty somber occasion. We tried to make the most of it with food, stories and laughs. But one delightful laugh in particular was missing and as much as I tried to push the ache aside, my heart took a brutal hit that morning when I thought of Brandon.

Edward graciously hosted Christmas dinner at his house. His parents, along with my Dad and Sue, joined us around the table. We held hands and said grace, asking special blessings on those who needed it most. Two people in particular stuck out in my mind.

I had not told Charlie about Alice being back in town but honestly, I didn't know if she was still around or not. She hadn't contacted me since arriving at my house two days earlier. Edward knew, of course, because I told him everything. He listened calmly and I could tell he struggled to remain nonjudgmental. After all, he had witnessed the worst of it.

"I hope, for everyone's sake, she's serious about getting clean." The skeptical look on his face matched my feelings about it, but deep down inside I really, _really_ thought she might follow through this time.

"Let's not talk about it tonight," I said, determined to have a stress-free Christmas evening with my boyfriend. Everyone had left a few minutes earlier with full bellies and happy faces, and my mood had improved dramatically compared to that morning.

"Okay," he replied with a grin. "I have something else I want to talk to you about anyway. Another gift, if you will."

"I'm all ears," I said while dramatically sweeping my hair behind my ears to reveal the sapphire earrings he had gifted me earlier in the day.

"Oh, you're so funny," he said sarcastically as he took me in his arms and bent to kiss my neck. "I want to take you away."

"Take me," I said dramatically. "I'm all yours." The wine was definitely talking.

"No, seriously," he said, pulling back to look at me. "I want us to get out of Port Angeles for a few days. Get your mind off things and spend some time together."

"Oh," I said, surprised. "Okay. Where do you want to go?"

"I thought we'd drive into Seattle. Stay in a hotel downtown, do a little shopping, relax…"

That sounded heavenly.

"I think that's the best idea I've heard all month. When do you want to go?"

"Would tomorrow be too soon? I'll call in the morning and make a reservation. I need to go back to Home Depot anyway." A mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Oh, I see why you want to go, Mr. I-don't-pay-shipping-fees!" He laughed loudly and wrapped me back in his arms.

"Fine, I'll go," I said. "But you're buying me seafood and lots of it. And a massage." I tried to stay solemn but failed miserably and laughed.

"Deal." He punctuated with a kiss, but turned serious as he studied my smile. "I've missed your laugh."

Staring into his thoughtful eyes, I returned his kiss and said, "I've missed it, too."

~ D ~

A getaway with Edward turned out to be just the thing to bring me out of the funk I had settled into the past month. We walked along the streets of downtown, stopping at various little shops and drinking lots of coffee to keep us warm in the damp, blistering cold.

We shared sweet treats and curled into one another while watching out coffee shop windows to wait for bouts of rain to pass.

It was exactly what we needed to reconnect.

The previous months had been so hard on me that I neglected to see how it was affecting my relationship with Edward. He had been there for me every step of the way. From my days of prolonged silence to the nights of neverending tears, he never complained. He understood.

What I hadn't realized was that even though Edward had only known Brandon for a short while, a bond had been formed, and he was mourning the loss also.

While we lay in bed our last evening in town, sated and clothed only in the bed sheets, our light conversations of the past days turned quite serious.

"I think about him a lot, too, you know." Edward stared up at me from where his chin rested on my sheet-covered belly. I reached down and ran my hands through his wild hair, mentally noting that he needed a hair cut. Although, I did love having it around to grip.

"I know you do. I wish I had realized this before. You've been so thoughtful and caring. I don't know how I can ever thank you enough for what you've done for me these past months."

"You give me everything I need just by breathing, Bella." Being the emotional wreck I was and had been, those words made me teary. I tugged on his arm so he would scoot up the bed next to me. I took his face in my hands and kissed him deeply. With a few touches and a position change, the kiss quickly developed into more.

"You know how you can repay me?" He asked rhetorically. I completely expected a dirty answer. He's a man, after all. He stopped the path of kisses he was tracing down my body and hovered over me, looking me in the eyes with complete sincerity.

"One day, you can become mine forever and make me the happiest man alive." Not what I expected, so I was caught off guard. My wide-eyed silence must have made him nervous because he was quick to add on to the statement.

"I'm not saying tomorrow, but hopefully in the near future. I love you. You're it for me." His eyes almost pleaded with me to say something so I quickly broke out of my haze and reached up to touch his cheek.

"You're it for me, too. I would be honored to be yours forever and honestly, tomorrow's free for me," I joked.

"Don't tempt me," he laughed as he poked my side to tickle me. I giggled and fought him off. "We could head to Vegas now and start working on babies tomorrow."

"Babies, huh?" I teased. "How many are we talking here?"

"As many as you want," he replied seriously. "Whatever makes you happy…and doesn't make us file bankruptcy," he said with a laugh. Our laughter died down and the atmosphere changed, growing serious once more. So many emotions were flowing through me that I felt overwhelmed, so I said the only thing I thought I could.

"I love you." He smiled down at me and kissed me long and hard before replying.

"Ditto, pretty girl."

~ D ~

In my blissfully unaware state of slumber, I heard singing. It wouldn't go away.

It was annoying as hell.

It wasn't until I heard Edward's deep, rumbled voice that I realized it wasn't in my dreams.

"That's your phone," he grumbled.

I jumped up and dug it out of my purse, adrenaline shooting through my veins and making me quickly aware. Phone calls in the middle of the night were never good.

I didn't recognize the number so I answered with a questioned, "Hello?"

"Bella?" My dad's gruff voice floated through the speaker while my heart pounded inside my chest.

"Dad?"

"Bella, before you panic I need you to know that everyone is okay, but I need you to get here as quickly as possible." His calm voice did nothing to stop the rapid pounding in my chest.

"Dad, you're scaring me. What's going on?" My voice shook and I could hear the sheets rustle behind me as Edward got out of bed.

"Nothing to be scared about but there's a little boy here insistently asking for his La-La."

Brandon?

"What do you mean, Dad? I don't understand." Edward looked as confused as I was so when I held the phone a bit away from my ear, he ducked his head down next to mine so he could hear the conversation.

"Bella, Jasper and Maria were arrested overnight," he said quickly. The next couple of sentences were a hazy blur. _Drug bust. Brandon was with them and is now waiting at the station. Mrs. Cope and Judge Aro and temporary custody until hearing can be scheduled._

"So are you going to come get him or what?" Dad asked impatiently. "Because he's rather irate that you aren't here by now."

Tears welled up in my eyes and I felt as though a weight lifted from my soul. "But he's okay?" I asked, trying to control my quivering chin.

"He's absolutely fine," my dad assured. "Now come on before he drives Shelley nuts." Edward smiled brilliantly and immediately turned and started shoving stuff in our overnight bags.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you guys for reading and to my betas for putting up with me. I hope this makes it a little better. See you soon. :)<strong>


	21. Flourish

According to Google Maps, it takes approximately two hours and thirty minutes to drive from downtown Seattle to downtown Port Angeles.

According to Edward Cullen, the trip could be made in one hour and thirty minutes – and he proved himself correct. Although there were times I feared my life.

I burst through the door at the Port Angeles police station and from the lack of shock on everyone's faces and the way they simply opened doors without a word, I assumed they were waiting for me.

Weaving quickly through the desks littering the open space, I worked my way to my dad's office, Edward trailing right behind me. I heard Brandon's voice before I saw him. As soon as I hurried through the door, he turned around in his seat. His face lit up when he saw me and he scrambled down from the chair. I met him halfway and scooped him up as he cried out, "La-La!"

"Hi, baby," I said softly as I held him and kissed his hair over and over again. He was in my arms again and I finally felt like I could take a deep breath. I leaned back to look at him and take in his precious face that I had missed so much. It was smudged and dirty, but otherwise he seemed just fine.

"Where were you? I've been waiting here forever," he exaggerated.

"I'm sorry, buddy," I replied with a grin. "Edward and I were in Seattle."

"La-La, my daddy gots in lots of troubles," Brandon said seriously.

"I know, buddy."

"Is he gonna get sent to time-out?" His face was a mixture of curiosity and confusion. I wasn't quite sure how to handle this but I felt like a version of the truth was required.

"Probably so, buddy. It's a different time-out than what you're used to but it's along the same lines."

"Do I get to go home with you now?" His question was more of a plea. I was so glad I could give him the answer he wanted to hear.

"You sure can, buddy."

"REALLY?" He shouted, tiny body jumping in the chair.

"Yep. You ready to go?"

"Yep! Bye Grandpa!" My dad grinned from the spot he occupied in the corner of the room as he watched our interaction.

"See you soon, squirt," he replied before he looked over at me. "We'll talk tomorrow. Go home and get some rest tonight."

I nodded and led Brandon out to the hall where Edward was leaned against the opposite wall. As soon as Brandon spotted him, his face lit up.

"Ehwurd!" The sight of Edward kneeling down and Brandon running into his arms is a memory I'll never forget.

"Hey there, big guy. Your La-La and I missed you!"

"I missed you, too! Can we go home now?" He looked back and forth from Edward to me eagerly.

"Absolutely," I broke in as I glanced at Edward. "Let's all go home."

**~ D ~**

Getting Brandon settled back in his old room took no time at all. He was happy to be back in a familiar place and when he asked about his other things, I promised to find something out about them first thing in the morning.

I was happy that I chose to keep just a few things in his dresser, like a couple pairs of underwear and some pajamas. It was almost four in the morning before we were all calm and ready to sleep. I tucked Brandon into bed, where he was already almost asleep, and tiptoed down the hall to my room where Edward waited. He had made a run back to his house to pick up a few of our things while Brandon was getting settled. He needed to be with us just as much as we needed him.

"Is he okay?" He asked from where he was propped up against my headboard.

"Yeah, he's okay." I changed clothes quickly and crawled exhausted into the bed and snuggled on his chest. We were silent for a few moments and both close to sleep.

"This is surreal," I mumbled. "I can't believe he's back here."

"I know." Edward's voice rumbled in his chest underneath my cheek. "I hope, for everyone's sake, that this will be the final straw for the judge."

"You and me both," I sighed. "What matters right now is that he's here and he's safe. I can't believe that idiot would put him in so much danger like that."

"But you're right. He's safe. He's perfectly fine. You'll get to see him first thing in the morning and it'll be like he never left."

Suddenly, I heard the floor creak in the hall and I knew we were about to have company. A little head peaked in the doorway.

"La-La, can I come sleep wif you," Brandon pleaded in a sleepy voice.

"Absolutely," I replied. He stumbled toward the bed and climbed up between me and Edward. He nestled into my side and tucked his hands under his head.

"Love you, La-La," he muttered.

"I love you, too, buddy," I replied with a quivering chin. The tears that had pooled in my eyes finally fell down my cheeks with his next declaration and the subsequent reply.

"Love you, Ehwurd." A heartbeat passed before the deep, emotional voice responded.

"Love you, too, my little superhero."

**~ D ~**

I awoke the next morning before the boys and spent a few minutes lying in bed staring at the little body beside me sprawled out across the bed. It was hard to control my giggles when I noticed that Brandon's right hand was sprawled out on Edward's cheek.

As if Edward sensed me staring at them, his eyes opened. He looked at me before glancing at Brandon. A soft smile spread across his face which in turn made me smile back. He reached over and cupped my hip, pulling me toward him so that we were all snuggled together with Brandon cocooned in the middle. We stayed that way, dozing on and off, until a tiny voice spoke up.

"Ehwurd?"

"Yeah, buddy?" Edward asked as he shifted back.

"Oh, dat's better," Brandon said with a sigh. He sucked in a big gulp of air dramatically. "I needed air."

Edward and I laughed while Brandon gave a big sleepy grin.

"Ready to get up?" I asked him.

"Yep." He scrambled out from under the covers and darted out of the room. I made my way to the kitchen to make coffee with Edward following close behind. I heard Brandon playing with whatever he found left in his room and started to feel bad about the lack of toys I had kept. While I was pouring coffee into two cups, I felt little arms at my waist.

"I missed you, La-La," he said quietly.

I squatted down and wrapped my arms tightly around him.

"I missed you too, buddy," I whispered into his hair and punctuated with a kiss. "Did you find things to play with in your room?"

"Yeah! See?" He held up a car and scurried back to his room. I smiled as I watched him go.

Another set of arms wrapped around me from behind, this set much bigger and stronger.

"I'm glad he's home where he belongs," he said.

"You and me both. I just hope he's here to stay." Our conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. I saw that it was my dad and answered quickly.

"You guys up?" He asked gruffly.

"Yeah, we're up. What's going on?"

"I need to come by and talk to you if you've got a minute."

"Yeah, I'm free all day. I need to know what all happened last night." Morbid curiosity.

"Sure. Be there in an hour or so. I've got some things to take care of at the station first."

He hung up quickly, a notorious trait of Charlie Swan's.

"I'm going to run to the store to pick up a few things," Edward announced after examining my bare refrigerator. "I'm hungry and I know you guys have to be hungry, but you have no food."

"That would be great. Just grab some things we can make quickly." We discussed a list of foods and he was gone within the next half hour.

Edward pulled back into the driveway only a few seconds before my dad drove up. I watched them from the window as Dad helped Edward unload bags from the trunk of my car. Brandon met them at the door and danced excitedly around their legs as they tried to walk in. I managed to hold him back enough for them to make it to the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. I pulled Edward aside as Brandon talked to his grandpa.

"Can you keep him occupied for just a few moments? Dad wants to talk to me about what happened last night."

"No problem. Is there anything here we can play with?" Edward looked around skeptically.

"No, I need to get some toys for him while we're still figuring out what's going to happen with his dad. He has a little car he found, but that's not going to keep him occupied all day. In the meantime, his movies are still here. He can watch one of those. I can tell he's still tired so he should stay still enough to do that."

"Gotcha." He turned away from me and called for Brandon. I watched them head into the living room as they discussed what movie to watch.

Turning back to my dad, I gave him a "spill it" look as I started to unload the groceries.

"Long story short, Jasper was caught at the old mill on the outskirts of town selling cocaine. Maria was with him, obviously, and so was Brandon." That was about all I was going to get out of my dad but it was enough.

"How could he have been so damn stupid," I wondered aloud. "It's one thing if he wants to put himself in danger by doing that, but to put his son in danger also? Why would he do that?"

"Because he's a damn idiot that only cares for himself, Bella." Leave it to my dad to put it bluntly. "He said Maria refused to stay home by herself with Brandon so he just took them both along."

"Ugh. What a piece of trash."

"Which one?" He asked with a laugh.

"Both," I replied.

"Also, I also have another piece of information I believe you'll want to know about."

I stopped what I was doing and turned toward him. "And what's that?"

"Alice is the one that tipped the police off."

I'm sure surprise was nearly written on my face.

"Really?"

"Yep," he nodded. "She did it in exchange for a shorter sentence. She's now in the county jail for six months and will have five years of probation when she gets out."

It wasn't lost on me that this was the most selfless thing Alice had done in years. She turned herself in so I could get Brandon back. If this was her way of paying me back for all the heartache she put me through, I considered her debt paid.

"Have you seen her?" I asked quietly. Only the sounds of The Lion King could be heard for moments before he finally answered.

"Yes," he replied. "We had a good talk. She said some things she needed to say and I said some things I needed to say. I believe that we're back on the same page. It's been a while."

"That's great, Dad. I'm really happy to hear that." I truly was. I couldn't stand hearing some of the things those two would say to each other in the past. Their words cut deep and they weren't the only ones wounded.

"Yeah. I'm still not happy with everything she's done, but it's a start. I just hope she can stay sober."

"For what's it worth, I think she can." I recalled the way she looked the last time I saw her. "She seemed…different when I saw her a few days ago. A lot more like her old self."

"Yeah."

There was a lull in the conversation as both of us were lost in our own thoughts.

"So what happens now?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"I think you need to get in touch with Rose. From what I understand, Mrs. Cope was requesting an emergency hearing. You'll need to see if Rose has received anything."

"I'll call her in a little while." Our quiet was interrupted a boyish giggle and deep laugh. The sound made me smile involuntarily.

"That's a good man you've got in there, Bella."

"I know. He's the best." I turned to look at my dad, who was grinning slightly behind his mustache.

"Besides you, of course," I teased.

"Yeah, right. No need to butter me up. I guess it's about time for another man in your life. I'm just glad it's someone like him. I know he'll take care of you two."

I leaned over and kissed my dad on the cheek. "Love you, Dad."

He blushed and mumbled, "Love you, too." He was so easily embarrassed when it came to emotions.

He got up and muttered something about getting back to the station. After he told Brandon and Edward goodbye, I walked him out and stood on the porch as the made his way toward his cruiser.

"Make sure you call Rose," he called out as he climbed in. With a wave, he drove off and I turned to head back inside.

I smiled at Edward as I walked back toward the kitchen and tilted my head, silently summoning him to follow me.

"Everything okay?" he asked when he walked in.

"I think so." I proceeded to tell him the same information my dad had told me. He seemed shocked by Alice's involvement and listened intently as I told him the rest.

"I think you need to go call Rose right now," he suggested.

"I am. I just wanted you to know what's going on."

"Thank you. The anticipation was killing me," he said with a grin.

"I'm sure. I'm going to make a quick phone call. You okay with him?" I asked gesturing toward the living room.

"Absolutely. We're having bonding time with Simba, Timone and Pumba. Do what you need to do."

I leaned up and kissed him soundly on the lips. "You have no idea how much I love you." My voice came across more emotional than I intended.

He bent down and kissed my forehead.

"If it's half as much as I love you, then I may have a bit of an idea."

**~ D ~**

Three days later, Rose and I sat on one side of the courtroom while Jasper, Maria and their sleazy lawyer sat on the other, all of us silently facing Judge Aro. After shuffling papers, flipping through a file and taking forever to probably figure out how he could indirectly admit he was wrong, he looked up at us.

"It's not easy to determine who is best able to take care of a child in a custody case, especially not personally knowing the parties involved. All I have to go by is what is presented to the court. In your case, Mr. Whitlock, that was a thick file with all the signs pointing to a reformed man, one who wanted to care for and nurture his biological son. I am, admittedly, a judge who believes in second chances. I also pride myself in being a great judge of character." The Judge took off his glasses and laid them on the file in front of him.

"Therefore," he began while pointedly staring at Jasper, "I do not like admitting when I am wrong about a ruling."

I chanced a glance at Jasper. His shoulders sagged and his head hung down, the orange scrub-like top hanging loosely across his shoulders. The pants were bunched up around his ankles and were so baggy that I could barely see his handcuffed wrists sitting in his lap.

Maria looked terrible. Her hair was limp and there was not a bit of makeup on her face. She was dressed in normal clothing. Since it was her first offense, Maria's family had bailed her out immediately.

No bail had been set for Jasper.

"Miss Swan," Judge Aro started, demanding my attention. I obediently sat up and faced him.

"Miss Swan," he repeated. "There was never a question of whether or not you could properly care for the child in question. It was never a question of whether or not you loved the child. My decision was solely based upon the fact his father seemed eager to regain his position in the child's life. I hope you understand why I felt the way I did."

I silently nodded and ducked my head, but in my own thoughts I was screaming at the man. He turned his attention back to Jasper.

"Mr. Whitlock, I'm quite appalled that you would use your son as a pawn in a game you thought you could win. It proved to be dangerous to him and I hope they tack on 'child endangerment' to your charges. Furthermore, it is quite apparent that you cannot raise the child in question. I gave you every opportunity and you still chose your past lifestyle over one that would be much, much more rewarding in the end."

"Therefore, it is the opinion of this court that, in the best interest of the child, Brandon Charles Swan, full custody of the minor be permanently awarded to Isabella Marie Swan. All parental rights of Jasper Hale Whitlock are hereby terminated. And now, Ms. Swan, since all parental rights to the child have been terminated, you are free to proceed with the adoption process if you desire to do so." I immediately drew my hands up to cover my mouth in astonishment as the tears spilled over. I had hoped and prayed the Judge would give Brandon back to me, but I never thought I would be able to obtain permanent custody this easily or quickly. I expected a fight for that. I barely registered Rose's enthusiastic hug and beaming smile.

"Your honor," Sleazy lawyer spoke up.

"The court's decision is final, counselor," Judge Aro said gruffly. "There is nothing you can say to change my mind. Your client has toyed with my patience long enough."

"Yes, your honor," he replied, defeated.

"Glad you see things my way." Judge Aro turned to me. "Enjoy that little boy, Ms. Swan. I trust you will not disappoint me."

I cleared my throat and with a quivering chin and shaky voice I replied, "I will not. Thank you, your honor."

He simply nodded his head, banged his gavel and said, "This court is now adjourned."

**~ D ~**

Shelley made arrangements with Jasper and Maria for us to pick up Brandon's things that afternoon. Charlotte greeted us at their house to let us in. Thank goodness Maria wasn't the one to do so because I'm not sure I could've been civil to her in front of Brandon.

Edward came along with us and helped pack up everything that belonged to Brandon into boxes and bags. As I was walking to the car with a load, Charlotte called me to the side.

"Bella, I just want you to know that I had no idea Jasper was still dealing. If I had even suspected, I would've notified someone." Her voice warbled slightly and judging by her glassy eyes, she was on the verge of tears. I had shed enough tears of my own lately. I couldn't deal with hers.

"Charlotte, I know. I never suspected that you would put Brandon in danger. But I knew all along that this was not the best place for him because I _did_ suspect something was going on."

"I understand," she replied quietly. "I see now that you were right. I guess I was blinded by a mother's eyes. I had hoped he really was clean and was trying to make an effort. Once again, I was wrong." She paused and fidgeted briefly before speaking again. "Do you think….do you think maybe I can see Brandon every once in a while? I adore him, Bella, and will miss him so much."

I had to refrain from immediately spitting out, "No, absolutely not." As much as Jasper had messed up, I couldn't punish Charlotte for it, and I certainly couldn't punish Brandon for it. He needed some connection to his father's family.

"Charlotte, I don't want to deprive Brandon from visiting his grandparents. It's not fair to him. However, there will be a rule. For now, you will only visit him at my house while someone else is around. I'm sorry if you think that's unfair but that's how it will be."

"That's fine, Bella," she said quickly. "I completely understand."

"Okay. I have your number. Let me get him settled back into his old life and routine and then we'll talk about visits. "

"Thank you, Bella." She held a hand over her heart and looked genuinely moved by my agreement. We watched as Edward loaded the last of Brandon's things into the car. Brandon followed his every move. They walked back to us and I watched as Charlotte bent down to talk to Brandon and hug him. He was quick to return her affection which proved to me I was making the right choice regarding her. He needed a grandmother in his life and she was his only one.

After their goodbyes, we climbed into my car. As we exited the driveway and started down the street I thanked my lucky stars to be headed home, once and for all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thank you guys for sticking with me. Only a few more chapters left. **


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